MARCH 2025 STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETINGS

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Starting at 10:30 AM

Various Locations | See Articles Below

March 2025 Newsletter

Assistance League of Hawaii took its Operation School Bell In-Store Shopping event to Walmart in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. Thanks to our OSB volunteers as well as those from the Rotary Club of Hilo and the Walmart staff.

See You at our Planning Meeting

This month is important for all of us to gather for the Strategic Planning on March 12. This will be our member meeting for the month. Please refer to Cathy Kissel’s article in this Newsletter for more information. Everyone should pick a home to visit with other members to strategize about our year to come. It is important to get everyone’s viewpoint this year, so please mark your calendars and join us. If you still need to sign up, please call the store (808-946-1505) and leave a message for Cathy or Mary so we can get you situated in a meeting location.

The Thrift Shop has been busy and that means we could use all hands at the shop – upstairs and down. Please check your schedules and see if you can give time to help sort, price, merchandise or clerk downstairs.

Members are the heart and soul of our Assistance League. No one person can do it alone. We need all our talents to make our chapter work. Thank you for all you do.

Photo inset above: Hilo school kids got donated clothing from OSB.

Our strategic planning meetings will recommend program updates.

Thanks to this year’s Nominating Committee: Nancy Sparacino, Laurelyn Berger, Linda McColgan, Lorna Motas, Linda Tsark, Board Alternate-Andrea Cyriacks, and Membership Alternate-Betty Parinas. They contributed their time and brainpower in securing a Slate of Candidates, willing to take on leadership roles, for the 2025-2026 Board of Directors. The Slate of Candidates will be presented at the March 12th small-group Strategic Planning Evaluation Meetings.

Three New Members Join Assistance League

We have three new members this month. All of them were referred by other members. We are excited to welcome these amazing women to Assistance League of Hawaii!

Left to right, new members Rae Fabrao, Mariann Tesauro and Maren Bonnet.

Mariann Tesauro - was referred by Cathy Kissel. Mariann currently tutors and monitors the welfare of minors on various local movie and television sets in Hawaii. She is a Diagnostic Prescriptive Teacher who spent several years working in the Leeward District as a Psychological Examiner. She is interested in various ways to volunteer (including We Care and OWL) and has already helped with the packing up of household goods at the Black Point home.

Rae Fabrao - was referred by Hazel Sumile. Rae recently retired as Principal of Makakilo Elementary School and prior to that she was at Waianae Intermediate. She has shown an interest in volunteering in several of our programs (including OSB, OWL and We Care) and is looking forward to being trained as a cashier for our Thrift Shop!

Maren Bonnet - was referred by Lorna Motas. Maren has a work background in sales and customer service. She is open to any of our programs (including OSB and We Care) and has already asked to be trained as a cashier for our Thrift Shop!

Enthusiasm and word of mouth about our awesome Assistance League of Hawaii is working! Our passion for our mission to help keiki in need and the community is noticed by others who are also motivated to serve as volunteers. Let’s keep up the good work!

Budget to Be Approved by

the Board and Members

Thanks to all on the Finance Committee and others who gave their input in helping to develop the Proposed Budget for 2025 - 2026. Every aspect of money spent by Assistance League of Hawaii was analyzed and projections made for the coming year. All these number crunchers kept the goals of our Strategic Plan in mind as they developed this Proposed Budget.  

The Proposed Budget for 2025-2026 will be presented to the Board of Directors in March, and then presented to our members for their consideration at the April Membership Meeting. Our members will then vote to approve the Proposed Budget for the next fiscal year at our May Membership Meeting.

Save the Date: 

Saturday,

May 3rd, 2025

46th Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk Oahu

Great Fun, Exercise, and Delicious Food

Two Sponsors for a Walker @ $25.00 or

 One Sponsor for a walker @ $50.00.

Link for more information.

Operation School Bell Brings

Joy to Big Island Keiki

Our Operation School Bell In-Store Shopping event was held at the Hilo WalMart store, on the Big Island, where Assistance League of Hawaii purchased school clothes for 142 keiki. The eligible students shop and select their school clothing and/or shoes, with Assistance League of Hawaii picking up the tab through our philanthropic donation.

Assistance League of Hawaii sends a big “mahalo” to Walmart in Hilo as well as the Rotary Club of Hilo for their help and support of this first-ever In-Store Shopping event on a neighbor island.

A heartwarming story was shared by a counselor at Waimanalo. The staff tries to greet the students when they arrive in the morning, and the counselor saw that one of her kindergarten students came to school with his t-shirt taped together with duct-tape! She took him in and got him a new t-shirt from a Kokua Clothing Box, donated by Assistance League of Hawaii. He was thrilled to get a new shirt!

Assistance League of Hawaii’s Operation School Bell volunteers have provided logo t-shirts (aka school uniforms) to over 40 elementary schools from the Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kauai.



Operation School Bell took its shopping event on the road to the Hilo Walmart store where these thankful students were all smiles after receiving their school clothes.

Operation School Bell Literacy Services

Beyond providing clothing, Operation School Bell also supports literacy through its book donation and reading program. Recently, a teacher on the Big Island received a set of books for their class’s Read-aloud Program. The students have enjoyed reading “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl and engaging in fun follow-up activities.

These success stories highlight the impactful work of Operation School Bell, bringing hope and opportunity to children across Hawaii.

OWL Takes Flight to Kauai

The Operation Wild Life (OWL) volunteer team recently spent four days on the beautiful island of Kauai in February, spreading the message of animal welfare and conservation. Their mission? To reach as many students as possible with their impactful presentations.

OWL volunteers visited six public elementary schools, delivering a total of 10 presentations to 400 students and 36 adults, for a grand total of 436 people reached. They were even honored to have the Island Superintendent, Daniel Hamada, visit their last school. They also received some valuable assistance from a retired Hawaii Department of Education officer on the island, who hopefully will join the team as a Community Volunteer next year!

The OWL video presentation captivated the students, leaving them in awe. Their reactions reflected a universal concern for the environment and the animals that call it home. As teachers shared, the students truly care about the well-being of wildlife.

The team's interactive approach resonated with the students. Students were encouraged to touch the tiger model, prompting them to excitedly share their experiences with their families: "I Touched A Tiger!"

With Kauai conquered, the OWL team has one more neighbor island to visit in March before wrapping up neighbor island visits for the year. Maui, get ready, the OWL team is coming!

Fourth grade students love our traveling biofacts that we take to every OWL presentation, like this one on the island of Kauai.

Share Brings Donations to Kokua Kalihi Valley Seams Wonderful Sewing Center

Member volunteer Marty Kehoe recently visited the Kokua Kalihi Valley Seams Wonderful Sewing Center, bringing along seven boxes of fabric from the Buddhist church in Waipahu. The ladies at the center were thrilled to receive the donation, which will be used to create clothes, curtains, and other necessities for their families.

The ladies at the center greeted Marty and Philanthropic Chair Hazel Sumile with warm smiles and heartfelt thanks. They showed off some of the items they had already made using donated fabric, and even presented them with handmade lanyards.

Marty and Hazel made this group of people happy with a sewing donation.

We Care Ladies Making a Difference

One Donation at a Time

It's amazing to see how people come together to help those in need. Two kind-hearted women, Pat Dixon and Linda Tsark, recently went above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of young people in need.

Pat Dixon: A Helping Hand for a Young Man

On February 20th, Pat Dixon stepped up to help a young man aging out of foster care at Hale Kipa. This young man was transitioning into his own apartment and needed some basic necessities. He requested storage bins, bed sheets, and cleaning supplies, all totaling $98. Pat Dixon generously provided these items, giving the young man a much-needed boost as he started this new chapter in his life.

Linda Tsark - Supporting Youth Outreach in Waikiki

Just a couple of days later, on February 22nd, Linda Tsark showed her compassion by donating to the Youth Outreach homeless drop-in center in Waikiki. Linda's donation, totaling $738, included a variety of essential items like men's T-shirts, boxer underwear, rubber slippers, shampoo and conditioner sets, and several boxes of canned goods. This generous donation provided much-needed support to the young people at the center, helping them feel a little more cared for and supported.

These are just two examples of how individuals can make a real difference in the lives of others. Pat Dixon and Linda Tsark's acts of kindness show that even small gestures can have a big impact. Their generosity and willingness to help those in need are truly inspiring.

Thrift Shop Volunteers Help Boost Sales

Our Thrift Shop continues to be a very busy and fun place to be. During February a $1.00 Men’s Clothing Sale, a “Stamporama" Crafts Sale, a "Blanket Bonanza" Sale (for those chilly Hawaiian nights), and a special display of Hawaiian clothing and merchandise helped boost our sales.

Our sales are so popular that some customers arrive early at our Thrift Shop entrance, well before we open at 9:30 a.m. They even set up chairs (see photo above).

All of these special sales events take the time and imagination of our member volunteers. We can always use more help on Tuesday through Saturday, both upstairs and downstairs, preparing our donated merchandise for sale. Why not stop by to help out when you have an hour or two? There is sure to be a task that is appealing to you, and you can’t beat the camaraderie. 

Special thanks to those in our “packing crew”, who ventured over to the Black Point house on February 19 to pack up donations of kitchenware. This was Phase 1 of what will be a series of lovely donations from this home, facilitated by Anne Perry and Marisa Norfleet of Compass Realty. Please be sure to let our Resource Development Chair, Mary Li, know if you are aware of someone moving or downsizing. Furniture and home decor are big sellers at our Thrift Shop.

On Saturday, March 15, our “Jewelry Queen", Arden Moore and her able assistant Patti Rosenberg, will be assembling a massive amount of jewelry-making supplies, known as “findings”. Be sure to tell your crafting friends about this fabulous opportunity to get jump rings, chains, beads, and everything in between during this one-day sale.

March 2025 Thrift Shop

Calendar for Cashiers & Rovers

Thrift Shop Days & Hours:

Tuesday & Thursdays 9:30 am to 1:00 pm

Saturdays 9:30 am to 3:00 pm

Login to our Members Page on the website to view another copy of the current Thrift Shop Calendar.

Submit Your Service Hours

Turn in your monthly service hours to: alhservicehours@gmail.com Enter your first name, last name and the hours you worked (please do not enter any text – just numerical hours).

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