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| It's time for our annual Kokua With Aloha Kala (KWAK) / Give Aloha fundraiser.
See the Resource Development article by Carol Jones in this newsletter. |
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Assistance League of Hawaii - September 2020
Transforming Lives - Strengthening Community
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A Fall Season Like Never Before
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We begin fall 2020 like no other before. COVID-19 has presented many challenges for all of us at Assistance League of Hawaii. Since March when the quarantine started, members kept their noses to the grindstone and kept "the ship afloat" so to speak. In hindsight, the timing of our mortgage payoff could not have been better! A big thank you to the prior and current board members for their dedication and innovation in transforming our operation to meet our community's needs.As we ended fiscal year 2019-20 and started the 2020-21 year in quarantine, our board found that we still needed of some help. Open positions are available for Historian, Hospitality, Circle Fund, and Operation Wildlife (OWL).
The Historian is the electronic keeper of the photos anyone takes during the year. Hospitality will probably change too, as we will not have luncheons for the near future. But oh, do we have plans to have fun! Circle Fund is the advocate in our chapter for the fundraising arm of our National organization. OWL will be temporarily out of commission until schools reopen for assemblies and travel between the islands.
August is back to school for our keiki and normally the start of in-store shopping for Operation School Bell (OSB). Please read how OSB will change this year. As online learning and non-student contact is being instituted, Laurelyn Berger and Andrea Cyriacks will detail the upcoming year and how OSB can still make a difference in those students' lives.
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| | Masks and social distancing practices are in place during our meetings and at the Thrift Shop. |
September is the month when we ask you to donate to "Give Aloha", Foodland's fundraiser that brings additional monies to our organization. As you will hear in the upcoming articles, revenues are down for our thrift shop, so we ask that you consider contributing to the Give Aloha program, also known as Kokua With Aloha Kala (KWAK). Please see Carol Jones' article under Resource Development for details.
A big thank you to Dot Mason for once again recommending Assistance League of Hawaii for the George Mason grant of the Hawaii Community Foundation in the amount of $15,000. These monies go directly to Operation School Bell and will be a tremendous help.
You, our members, are the most precious part of our Assistance League of Hawaii. As most of us joined for the programs, we have returned for the friendships. This is the connection we need to hold onto for those who cannot physically participate in our programs. As you might have guessed, we will not be meeting in person in the next couple of months. I certainly want to extend electronic monthly meetings and weekly fun happenings to you.
If interested in joining these upcoming events electronically, we can help you with Zoom, a video conferencing program, which will work on your smartphone, tablets or computers. Our September 9 Regular Member Meeting will be an online Zoom event, starting at 10:30 a.m.
If you need help with Zoom, please reach out to me at the Thrift Shop 946-1505 or by email althrift281@gmail.com and we can set a convenient time to meet one-on-one to install and try out this fun way of communicating.
Luckily for us, Assistance League of Hawaii programs and practices are adaptable. This newsletter is chock full of information on those changes and challenges for this upcoming year.
New can be scary but as a group we are a strong and innovative team. Opportunities await. I know we can meet the new challenges ahead.
New Normal = Better Normal!
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Resource Development
Carol Jones
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Give Aloha At Foodland To Help Us Raise Funds!
Among our members the program is also known as KWAK, or Kokua with Aloha Kala. It will be very helpful for Assistance League of Hawaii if we can get as many members as possible to participate in KWAK / Give Aloha this year, since Thrift Shop funding has been reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
How KWAK / Give Aloha Works: From September 1 - 30, customers are invited to make donations of up to $249 to participating Hawaii non-profit organizations at checkout. Donations are accepted at any Foodland, Sack N Save or Foodland Farms stores. Foodland and the Western Union Foundation will match a portion of each donation. Individuals must use their own Maika'i card number to make a donation. Donations made without a Maika'i number will not be matched.
How to Donate: At checkout, present your Maika'i card (or provide your number) and inform the cashier that you would like to make a donation to Assistance League Hawaii, code number 77759. If you do not have a Maika'i card/number, you may request to establish one. Maika'i cards are free. Your donation will be added to your grocery purchase total. You may donate up to $249 per organization; any portion exceeding $249 will not be matched. The amount you donate and the name of our organization will appear on your receipt. Donations must be payable to Foodland or Sack N Save.
Acknowledgement of Your Donation: Donor names will not be released to our organization. Therefore, if you would like us to know of your gift, please contact us directly so that we may properly acknowledge your gift. You may ask the cashier for a duplicate receipt to submit to us.
Are These Contributions Tax Deductible?: These contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Please save your store receipt for tax purposes since it will be the only record you will have of your donation(s).
Matching Gift: Matching gifts will be determined at the end of the program. Our organization will receive 100% of all customer donations given to us, plus each donation made with a Maika'i card, will be partially matched by a gift from Foodland and the Western Union Foundation.
Questions: Please contact Community Relations at Foodland at (808) 732-0791 ext. 7388 if you have any additional questions.
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Strategic Planning
Helen Taufa'asau
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Strategic Planning = Teamwork in Action!
As we begin a new year, reviewing our Strategic Plan is always a good place to start. Because of the pandemic we are in totally unchartered territory. Fortunately, we have a strong strategic plan in place with goals that are still relevant. However, as we work toward updating our action plan for the year, we will need to be very flexible and creative to reach our goals.
We are in the process of conducting meetings and having discussions regarding how we will achieve our goals. Program committees have been very busy with plans for the year ahead, making the necessary changes to enable us to still accomplish our mission. New strategies are being added to our action plan.
When we held our yearly small group evaluation meetings in March, we thought the biggest challenge was going to be deciding how to best use the extra money available after paying off our mortgage. Now we are faced with more immediate challenges and new priorities. The good news is that we have an amazing group of volunteers who are stepping up and doing whatever it takes to continue transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs!
Teamwork will get the job done!
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A typical T-shirt will feature
a school logo.
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T-Shirts to All Through Operation School Bell
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to hold any in-store events this year. We know what a disappointment this is for all of us! So, our new plan is to offer school logo T-Shirts to All.
Qualifying schools are those with 74% or more of their students receiving free or reduced lunch. We have sent out letters to all those schools, letting them know our plans to provide T-shirts to their students. They will be able to order the shirts from their vendors and Assistance League of Hawaii will pay the bill. We have given the schools until February 1, 2021 to complete their orders.
This is a very challenging year, so hopefully we will be able to help the students feel better about themselves and their education.
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We Care Never Skips a Beat!
Corona Virus or not, Assistance League of Hawaii's We Care Program continues to plow ahead at full steam with our dedicated group of member volunteers! Here's our latest update:
Malama Bears - Stuffed bears provide comfort and cheer to children and adults on Oahu who are in need of one or both. We annually order, pack, and deliver 1,200 to 1,600 bears to several pediatric hospitals, fire department stations, and hospice centers. Thanks to Bonnie Trustin's efforts we have recently added a tenth recipient - the Child and Youth Behavioral Center at the Daniel K. Inouye Elementary School. The remaining bears purchased with last year's funds were delivered to the recipients this summer. The initial allotment of 300 bears for the new budget year have been delivered to the shop and will be packed for delivery in the near future. An email request for assistance will be sent, if help is needed for the packing.
Lullaby Layettes - We provide packets containing two to three onesies (size 3 months), a blanket, and diapers to three local hospital labor and delivery units. We purchase, pack, and deliver the items. We are told that, in too many cases, these are the only gifts the new mothers receive. The packets are popular as evidenced by the fact individuals have tried to buy a packet from the We Care members delivering them. The Lullaby Layette packing usually can use member volunteer help from outside the We Care committee. An email request is sent to members when assistance is needed. The next packing events will be scheduled for September and October.
Hale Kipa - Carol Jones worked extensively through the summer to provide support to Hale Kipa for clients transitioning out of Foster Care when they turn 18. Hale Kipa and the client develop a list of the client's needs. Carol purchased and delivered to Hale Kipa as many of the items as she could with the budget she has per client. The items are purchased from Target, Ross, Walmart, etc. Clients can be given vouchers that can only be used at The Thrift Shop.
Domestic Violence Action Center - Member volunteer Carol Jones also found time to provide one-way bus passes and diapers to the Center for them to distribute to their clients.
Shriners Hospital - We purchase and deliver to the hospital patient coordinator small items that can be used by bed-bound patients: handheld toys, bears, puzzles, crossword puzzles, art projects, coloring books, etc.
Youth Outreach - This is a safe haven for teens in Waikiki. We provide one-way bus passes, hygiene products, socks, undergarments, backpacks, t-shirts, and more for distribution to the clients.
There has been minimal impact on all We Care activities by COVID-19. Since some of the other committees have had a major impact, we stand ready to increase our services if that is in the best interest of the Assistance League of Hawaii.
Member volunteer Linda McColgan recently joined the We Care Committee. Welcome Linda!
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COVID-19 Winds Down Thrift Shop Operations
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Our Thrift Shop has been functioning quite well during the month of August. We were able to reduce the number of workers needed and customers have been very cooperative.
We continued to get nice donations, and thanks to a number of ladies, the bins got sorted and items got priced on Tuesday mornings and Fridays. Help is always appreciated both upstairs and downstairs.
Each morning that we opened, there was usually a line waiting. Donations were taken indoors, instead of under a tent in the parking lot. Financially, we are doing ok, especially after Bid-Box Tuesdays.
With the increase in COVID-19 cases in August - we were forced to close the Thrift Shop again from August 27 to September 11 per the new Stay at Home Order issued by the City & County of Honolulu. The order was announced on August 25 by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. When we are ready to re-open the Thrift Shop, you will be notified.
Thanks to all of you who have been so helpful and generous with your time during this rather stressful period.
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September 2020 Thrift Shop Calendar
The Thrift Shop Will Be Closed Until Further Notice.
On Wednesday September 9 our Regular Member Meeting
will be held online via ZOOM starting at 10:30 AM.
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Vice President
Sheri Sunabe
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Welcome New Community Volunteer
Aloha to Sharon Dellinger, who has joined us as a community volunteer. She is helping us sort donations from her home.
The Assistance League of Hawaii contact list is regularly updated (Thank you Linda McColgan). Please contact me if you need a copy. |
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Finance | Bylaws
Marjorie Van Swearingen
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Assistance League of Hawaii Budget is Posted
The proposed budget for 2020-2021 was prepared by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.The Budget Overview was presented and approved by the membership using email via Constant Contact, in late May, 2020.
As the year progresses, the Finance Committee will review Budget expenditures and make adjustments as needed.
The complete 2020-2021 Budget is posted on the upstairs bulletin board at the Thrift Shop.
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The Bylaws are Current and Need no Revisions
The Bylaws of Assistance League of Hawaii dated May 13, 2020, are current and do not need revisions.
The most recent changes were made last May, to facilitate members attending meetings and voting through the use of electronic means, ie. telephonic and/or video teleconferencing.
Members will be presented with the opportunity to Sign Off to the fact that they understand and will comply with the Protected Persons Behavioral and Reporting Policy and the Name-Based Search and Fingerprinting Policy. As a reminder, these policies help to provide a safe and secure environment for children, persons with intellectual disabilities, and elderly persons who participate in activities sponsored by Assistance League.
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Book Chronicles
our 2019 - 2020
The 2019 - 2020 Assistance League of Hawaii History Book was published in August. The 55-page book chronicles events and activities from Assistance League of Hawaii during the past year. We covered membership meetings, Thrift Shop, Operation School Bell, Operation Wildlife, We Care, Share, Outreach, paying off the mortgage, and the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic had on our organization (closure, program cut-backs, masks, social distancing, etc.).
The History Book was compiled by the Marketing and Communication Committee. We are in search of a new chapter Historian to start and compile next year's book. Call 946-1505 if you are interested. If you have photos to contribute send the large size versions to historian@alh-hawaii.org.
You can view a copy of the book in the Ohana Room upstairs at the Thrift Shop.
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Service Hours by Karen McClelland
Your Monthly Service Hours
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Thank you for your diligence in submitting your service hours every month. It is very important for National Assistance League use and to demonstrate the good work that we do. Please send your hours to me at the end of every month so I can enter them onto the spreadsheet. Only the total is necessary. For those of you who worked during the summer and forgot to give them to me, please include those. Let me know if you need assistance in submitting the hours.
Thank you, Karen McClelland 808-741-7249. Your hours can also be sent by email to: karenmccle@gmail.com
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Support Us by Shopping at
Amazon Smile
Want to know another way to support the Assistance League of Hawaii? You can simply do that by starting your Amazon shopping at smile.amazon.com. You shop as you normally would on the site, at no extra cost to you, and you don't need to make a separate account. Amazon will then donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.
Here are 2 easy steps:
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Logon to smile.amazon.com with your same account when ever you are shopping on Amazon (You'll be able to tell you're shopping from the correct page if you see the AmazonSmile logo in the left corner of the page and "Supporting Assistance League of Hawaii" below the search bar.)
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On your first visit to smile.amazon.com, you need to select: Assistance League of Hawaii to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make through AmazonSmile will result in a donation.
Just remember... the next time you are shopping on Amazon use: smile.amazon.com. It helps us! - By Linda McColgan
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Newsletter Editor & Contact: Melvin Ah Ching
assistanceleaguehimarketing@gmail.com * 801-810-7135
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