SEPTEMBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 10:30 AM

Jolene’s By the Bay, Bayview Golf Park / Kaneohe, HI

September 2025 Newsletter

Itʻs time to GIVE ALOHA to Assistance League of Hawaii at your favorite Foodland, Sack Nʻ Save and Foodland Farms stores now through September 30, 2025. Details in the Resource Development article below.

Looking Forward with Aloha:

A Season of Growth and Gratitude

As we step into a new year of service, Assistance League of Hawai‘i remains committed to its vision of meeting the essential needs of underserved children, adults, and families in our community. Together, we look forward to transforming the lives of Hawai‘i’s keiki, their families, and the broader community with caring, compassion, and committed volunteers. 

It has been the summer of action. While many think of summer as a time of rest, Assistance League of Hawaii members have been anything but idle. From lively committee meetings to thoughtful planning sessions, our volunteers have been preparing for a full and exciting year ahead.

• Thanks to the dedication of our members, programs such as Operation School Bell®, Operation Wildlife, and We Care continue to provide clothing, comfort, education and support to those in need. Volunteers have been the heart of this work—shopping, organizing, and delivering essential items to families across our islands.

The Assistance League Thrift Store has been thriving.

• It has been buzzing like a hive, with loyal volunteers working upstairs and downstairs to manage an outpouring of community donations. Their hard work has paid off: we’ve seen record sales this summer, driven by both generous donors and the tireless energy of our volunteers. Each purchase and every hour of volunteering contributes to our philanthropic programs, increasing the scope of our mission.

It has been a summer of growth, generosity, and gratitude. 

• Membership continues to grow, bringing fresh energy and ideas to our organization. We are also profoundly grateful for the substantial donations received this summer, including generous gifts from the George Mason Fund of Hawaii Community Foundation by Dot Mason, and from the Odd Fellows, Excelsior Lodge No. 1. Their support strengthens our ability to expand vital programs that touch countless lives.

Most importantly, we recognize the essential role of Assistance League of Hawaii volunteers. From philanthropic program teams to the Resource Development Committee and the numerous support services working quietly behind the scenes, each volunteer keeps our organization running smoothly. Mahalo to all of you.

Photos: Happy children at our August 23rd Operation School Bell event (top). The Membership Committee planning for the upcoming year (above).



Assistance League of Hawaii invites member volunteers and guests to the upcoming September Membership Meeting, kicking off our new year for networking and chapter business. The luncheon meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at Jolene’s by the Bay at Bayview Golf Park in Kaneohe.

It will run from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will feature a variety of menu options to choose from, with all selections including a fountain drink, tax, and tip. Attendees can select from the following:

• Lobster Roll - $34.00
• Lobster Salad - $34.00
• Butta Shrimp Roll - $20.00
• Smoked Brisket Salad - $26.00
• Pastrami Roll - $21.00

To confirm attendance and provide a menu selection, members must RSVP by Wednesday, September 3, no later than 12:00 noon. Please send your RSVP and meal choice to Lorna Motas at: lornamotas33@gmail.com.

Members are welcome to bring any guest who may be interested in our programs and the Thrift Shop.

Assistance League of Hawaii Teams Up with Foodland's "Give Aloha" to Make a Difference

Get ready to give back! Assistance League of Hawaii is thrilled to announce its participation in the annual Give Aloha campaign, a community-focused partnership with Foodland Super Market.

Throughout September, shoppers across the state can support Assistance League of Hawaii's vital programs, with Foodland matching a portion of each donation.

Foodland’s Give Aloha program, is also known internally at Assistance League of Hawaii as KWAK (Kokua With Aloha Kala). This year, the campaign offers a wonderful opportunity for the members and the community to help Assistance League of Hawaii continue its mission of transforming the lives of keiki and families in need.

It's easier than ever to give!

From now until September 30, you can donate at any Foodland, Sack N Save, or Foodland Farms location statewide. Simply use Assistance League of Hawaii's unique code, 77759, when you check out with your Maika'i Card.

Donations of any size make a huge impact and can be made in a few simple ways:

• Round up your purchase.
• Donate spare change.
• Redeem 250 Maika'i points for a $5 donation.
• Make a monetary donation up to $249.
• Purchase exclusive Give Aloha merchandise designed by artist Suzanne Jennerich.

Every contribution is a step toward creating a brighter future for our community, and with Foodland's matching portion, your generous gift will go even further. Join Assistance League of Hawaii and Foodland in this powerful campaign to give with aloha!

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This year our Assistance League of Hawaii Give Aloha banner is on display at the Kaneohe Foodland store. The photo above features member volunteers Linda Anderson and Mary Li with Don, the Foodland Kaneohe manager.

The Word is Out!

There are many reasons why Assistance League Hawaii is such a successful philanthropic organization. The word is getting out about us - there is a growing interest in volunteering - we are getting a good response on our website, members are sharing about us with friends and family, business cards are in our wallets - ready to be handed out when people ask about us.The volunteers at the shop are demonstrating how important our mission is to everyone. A lot of our customers are filling out our Membership Interest Form! Thanks also to the Communications and Marketing Committee for a terrific job of getting the word out there!

Since the end of May we have welcomed four fantastic new members!

Annette Murray - Annette learned about us from Gloria McGehee-Koel who has agreed to be her mentor! They know each other from the mainland, where they both worked for AVID ( Advancement Via Individual Determination). Since then, Annette has moved to Hawaii. Although she works full-time for AVID, she is eager to share her many skills by working on special events. She is an experienced educator, and she has a lot of experience with grant writing.

Rhona Ako - Rhona learned about us from her mother, Laurelyn Berger, who has agreed to help guide her as a mentor! She seems very interested in helping where she can at Assistance League. She has already helped to sort, price, etc., items that were donated from the airport. Rhona has a busy life, raising 4 sons with one still in college. She is a former accountant, and she and her husband have built/refurbished over 45 properties in Honolulu. One of her goals is to visit as many countries as possible; she loves traveling. She enjoys weekly family dinners every Sunday night so they can all stay connected.

Therese Tilly - Therese heard about us from one of our members, Bonnie Trustin. She is open to many volunteer opportunities with Assistance League. She is interested in working at the Thrift Shop and has made contact with Nancy Sparacino for training. I will be her mentor.

Ella Garcia - Ella heard about us from Ellen Dihel. Hazel Sumile will be her mentor. Ella has already begun her involvement with the Operation Wildlife Program, and has been guided by Hazel to learn the ropes for volunteering upstairs at the Thrift Shop. Ella has many skills which will be a welcome asset to Assistance League of Hawaii. She is an educator, artist, is skilled at graphic design, and has extensive computer knowledge. She also enjoys jewelry repair and has jumped into various crafts projects at the shop.

One of the goals for Membership this year is to continue our efforts to recruit new members. Be sure to invite guests to our first Membership Meeting on September 10, where we will be having our Third Annual Philanthropic Programs Fair. It is a great time to introduce potential members to our mission and programs.

Another goal is to further develop our mentoring program. Please consider volunteering as a mentor. You will make one of the greatest contributions to Assistance League of Hawaii possible, helping our new members to find their place in volunteering, and to make sure they are guided toward programs that they enjoy!

One suggestion for "getting the word out" about Assistance League of Hawaii is to be sure you always have a few business cards in your wallet, purse or pocket! When you talk to friends, family, or acquaintances about Assistance League of Hawaii, you can give them one of these cards. It is a great way to help them understand where we are, who we are, and what we do!

Operation School Bell Donates School Clothes to Hawaii’s Children in Need

Operation School Bell® started out with a big bang! We are getting invoices for school logo t-shirts and had our first in-store shopping event at Walmart in Honolulu on August 23rd. 144 school-aged children showed up and spent approximately $70.95 per child for back-to-school clothes and shoes. It was such a huge reward to see all those smiling faces with their new clothes. (Some were getting new clothes for the first time.)

Our next in-store shopping event will be September 20th at the Honolulu Walmart again. We would love to have you join us. Please contact Mary Monohon to let her know you would love to join us. Many hands make light work.

The school children were happy to receive cool threads to start the new school year. Assistance League was there to help many keiki!

OWL Volunteers Will Keep Students Intrigued

Our OWL Kick-Off Meeting was held on August 19 at Pu'uhale Elementary School library with 24 folks in attendance. Everyone got to view the new video and had a chance to learn about the structure of an OWL presentation.

Folks willing to lead presentations are being recruited, and we are now going to be holding real "training sessions" at some schools, where one session will be demonstrated by a veteran lead, so others can observe, and the second session can be practice time for those who want to try leading sections of a session.

Those special training sessions will be held on Sept 12 at Nanakuli Elementary, and on Sept 15 at Pu'uhale Elementary. Contact Hazel Sumile if you are interested!



Share Program Volunteers Donate

Items to Our Program Partners

Assistance League of Hawaiiʻs Share Program Partners have generally received these types of donations from our Thrift Store. We pass on a lot of excess inventory to recipients participating in Share. You can rest assured that the people who get the following items are especially grateful.

• Clothing

• Footwear (shoes, sandals, slippers)

• Toiletries

• School Supplies

• Toys and Games

• Sporting Items

A survey of our Share Partners suggests that we also include these types of items in the future:

• Hair Accessories (brushes, clips, bows, hair dryers)

• Purses

• Jewelry

• Pajamas, Bras, Robes

• Swim Suits

• Age Specific Items for: 4-17

• Fabric for sewing

Please pass this information to your friends and neighbors that donate to our Programs and to the Thrift Shop. Recycle and Reuse is a good thing to practice if items are still in new or usable condition. If you have questions, contact Karen Kehoe.

If You See Something, Say Something

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 by email to determine if we may be able to offer support and lend a hand! 



The Thrift Shop Can Always Use Your Help

Thanks to all who helped at the Thrift Shop during the summer months. There was more than enough work to go around. Our customers love that our shop always has “new” and wonderful things to buy, and they comment about our friendly and selfless volunteer staff. We had healthy summer sales, thanks to everyone’s efforts.

If any member is interested in helping out at the Thrift Shop on any Tuesday-Saturday, just let me know, and we will provide training for whatever you would like to do. We have a particular need for someone to help Shirley Rebello in the linens area. Those blankets, towels and pillows don’t magically appear on the display shelves by themselves. If clothing, shoes or handbags are your thing, there are always plenty of those needing to be sorted, hung and displayed downstairs.

We could also use some help curating and preparing Bid Box items. Margie Van Swearingen would be happy to have an apprentice. Knick-knacks, housewares, artwork, books, crafts, greeting cards and many other things need to be sorted, priced and displayed on the sales floor. You can take your pick of whatever appeals to you and work in our comfortable air-conditioned shop with friendly co-workers.

Remember that our Thrift Shop is our primary source of funding for all of our philanthropic programs. Please consider lending a hand when you can.

Mahalo for volunteering at Assistance League of Hawaii!

September 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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