OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - 11:00 AM Check-in

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center

October 2025 Newsletter

SHARE: Assistance League of Hawaii volunteer Marty Kahoe helped the Seams Wonderful community sewing group in Kalihi who use donated fabric from Assistance League of Hawaii to create new things, such as tote bags.

September & October:

Two Months of Service and Ohana

As September ends, we reflect with gratitude on a month filled with meaningful service, new beginnings, and the enduring spirit of Ohana that defines Assistance League of Hawaii.

Board Leadership and Planning

Our month began with the annual Leadership and Board Meeting, where members came together to plan for an inspiring year ahead. We focused on volunteer engagement, program growth, and community connections. Recognizing transportation challenges, we encouraged carpooling opportunities, and we embraced the Ohana spirit in warmly welcoming and helping each other while volunteering in all aspects of Assistance League. Ohana means "no one is left behind.” 

Thriving Thrift Shop

The Thrift Shop continues to be the heart of our fundraising efforts. In September, record donations from the community, combined with the dedicated volunteers upstairs and downstairs, resulted in exceptional sales. Beyond revenue, the shop remains a place where volunteers are welcomed. 

Philanthropic Programs in Action

Operation School Bell® equipped children with school clothing, new shoes, and slippers, giving them confidence for a strong start to the year.

OWL (Operation Wildlife) inspired Hawaii’s keiki with interactive environmental learning programs, sparking curiosity and stewardship for the Islands.

Partnerships with Educational Organizations and businesses help promote Assistance League of Hawaii. 

In September, we connected with two awesome organizations that are all about spreading our mission. The educators from a national group were super impressed with how far our Philanthropic Programs are reaching. We also teamed up with Balsam Hill Studio at Ala Moana Shopping Center for the next six months. They will donate a portion of their sales from the special Red Hibiscus Christmas ornament to support Assistance League of Hawaii. 

These efforts embody our mission: Assistance League of Hawaii volunteers transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs.

Looking Ahead

As we step into October, we embrace the meaning of Ohana—family, friends, and community standing together. With renewed energy, we invite every member to share their time, talents, and aloha spirit. Together we will continue to thrive and flourish.

Aloha Assistance League of Hawaii Members!

It was great to see you all at the first luncheon of the fiscal year on September 10.

A big mahalo to the Hospitality team members, Maren Bonnet and Jamie Tangonan who assisted with the check-in and welcome. Thanks to Allison Shin-Yuen, for graciously assisting the Hospitality Team.

The October 8 business luncheon will be at Wolfgang's Steakhouse located in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Waikiki.

• Check-in begins at 11:00 am
• Cost of meal & coffee or tea, including tax and tip is $33.00
• 3 Hour parking validation will be provided.

A special menu is being provided that day. Choice of one:

• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
• Loco Moco
• Classic Cheeseburger with Fries
• Grilled Fish Sandwich with Fries
• Fish and Chips

RSVP to Lorna Motas by October 1 (or sooner) to reserve your seat. We look forward to seeing you on October 8th.

There are always new things to see and learn at our monthly regular meetings. Plus you get to mingle with our member volunteers.

Assistance League of Hawaii Will Receive a Portion of Hibiscus Holiday Ornament Sales

Balsam Hill Studios is partnering with Assistance League of Hawaii with this beautiful hibiscus ornament just in time for the holiday season. Assistance League of Hawaii will receive 20% of the sales from the purchase of this ornament. The hibiscus ornament is a perfect addition to your Christmas tree during this year. More Info.

Parking Reimbursements Available

Staff parking reimbursements have been processed and have been ready for pick-up since September 27. If you submitted a Staff Parking Fee Log for the 1st Quarter of Fiscal Year 2025-2026, your reimbursement check will be found in the bottom file drawer of the Treasurer's desk.

If you would prefer to have your check mailed to your home, please let Linda Tsark know.

If you forgot to submit your parking reimbursement request for the months of June, July or August, please submit a parking fee log as soon as possible. For parking fees to be reimbursed, members must submit a parking fee log which gives the date parking fees were incurred and the number of hours parked OR the actual amount of parking fees charged. 

Did you know the easiest way to monitor and record your parking fee hours and/or costs is directly through the ParkSmarter app? Simply open the ParkSmarter app, tap on Activity at the bottom of the screen and then tap on History on the top right side of the screen. Viola, every parking session and the amount paid is recorded on the app. It is available for Apple's iOS and Android smart phone systems.

Our Programs are in High Gear!

Operation School Bell®

Upcoming events for in-store shopping for students at various Walmart stores:

• Oct. 4, 2025 - Hilo 
• Oct. 18, 2025 Ke'eaumoku
• Oct. 25, 2025 - Kunia in Waipahu 
• Nov. 1, 2025 - Kapolei

Two events have already been held where students were invited to purchase school clothes valued at $70 each. For some, this was their first experience with new clothing!

Operation School Bell needs folks to make phone calls to schools to remind them about the T-shirt orders. We hope that schools will order the T-shirts as soon as possible in the school year. If you are willing to help with this, we would ask you to take a specific region/area, ie, Westside, or Windward side, or Kalihi, etc.  Let Andrea Cyriacks know if you can assist.

Mahalo to the schools that have already ordered their school logo

T-shirts through Assistance League of Hawaii.

Operation School Bell Literacy Services

The library at Pu'uhale Elementary School has begun full operations, with all classes in grades 1-5 coming in once a week for lessons and borrowing! We will start with the littles (Kindergarteners and pre-schoolers) later.

Operation Wildlife

The first Neighbor Island visit is now in the books! The team made presentations to 7 schools with a total of 9 sessions over 4 days on Hawaii Island. The students were all very well-behaved and excited about the visits, and really enjoyed touching so many animal biofacts! Comments from kids included: "I love this!" "Thank you for doing this!" (on their own, no teacher prompting!). 

The Oahu schedule has also begun full steam ahead. We will be visiting Waimanalo Elementary for the second year in a row next week. Busy days will be followed by relaxed lunches for our volunteers. 

OWL member volunteers visited Hawaii Preparatory Academy on the Big Island last month.

"Seams Wonderful" Get Face Mask Donations

Assistance League of Hawaii donated fabric face masks, sourced from Island Slipper, to "Seams Wonderful." This is a sewing club within the Kōkua Kalihi Valley Community Family Programs (also known as the Federal Housing Towers). The club is repurposing the mask material to create a number of items, such as pillows and tote bags.

"Seams Wonderful" trains 5 to 15 women in sewing techniques that they use to create clothing items, pillowcases, bags, dresses, and skirts for their friends and family. Our Share program donates fabric to the club, and they presented me with one of their finished tote bags to use as a display, should we have a place to hang it. The club has been training its members since 2008, with new mothers often making clothes for their babies.

Photo above: Seams Wonderful lady creating a new piece.

We Care Gives Away Bears, Layettes and More

The We Care program is in full force. We have been giving away Malama Bears and Lullaby Layettes to various hospitals and organizations. There are a few organizations we still need some help with. This would involve providing them supplies on a monthly basis or quarterly basis. It’s not that time-consuming but very essential. If you’re interested please contact Dianne Girard. We would be happy to have you on board!

Outreach — One And Done!

PROVIDES ONE-TIME EMERGENCY SERVICES TO HELP THOSE IN TREMENDOUS NEED.

Outreach has a new slogan: "If you see something, say something." If you see that an organization is in great need of help please contact Miho Teipel at alohabutterfly888@gmail.com to determine if we may be able to offer support and lend a hand.

Pictures Are Useable With A Photo Release

A picture is worth a thousand words and a short video is even better! These photos can then help spread the word about Assistance League of Hawaii on Facebook, our website and other marketing materials. 

Here is a link to a photo release form that is needed for anyone other than one of our volunteers. You might print this and have a few copies on hand when you are delivering one of our services. 

Copies of this photo release form can also be found in the Ohana Room or can be downloaded from this link.

There’s Always Something to Do

at the Thrift Shop

A big thank-you goes out to all who helped on both Friday and Saturday with our $1.00 Clothing Sale last week. It takes lots of preparation to get ready for the sale and many hands to bag up the leftover clothes and bring down a fresh supply of clothing for the following week. Our Share program partners benefit from the perfectly usable clothing that is bagged up at the end of the sale. It’s a win, win for our bargain-hunting customers and our community partners, not to mention the dollars rung up at our cash registers.

If you are looking for a way to stay cool on these hot fall days, consider spending some time in the air-conditioned Thrift Shop. We can always use extra hands with a variety of tasks, both upstairs and downstairs. No experience is required; we will give you on-the-job training. Just drop in on any Tuesday-Saturday, and we will happily put you to work.

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE: Our annual Christmas Work Party will be the weekend of November 8-9. You will receive an invitation and more details later. You won’t want to miss this fun event!

October 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).

STAY CONNECTED