Regular Member Meeting Wednesday, February 12, 2021
Starts at 10:30 AM via the Zoom app. See you online!
Assistance League of Hawaii - February 2021
Transforming Lives - Strengthening Community
OUTREACH: Assistant League of Hawaii member volunteers Miho Tiepel and Peggy Monell filled this truck full of groceries for students at the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources program. Also shown, Jessica Radovich of CTAHR.

We’re Strong as an Ox!
February 12th starts the beginning of the Chinese New Year. It is the Year of the Ox. Oxen are the hard workers in the background, intelligent and reliable, but never demanding praise. This sounds like most of the volunteers at the Assistance League!

So, if you were born in 1949, 1961 or 1973 this is your year!
 
At the last member meeting, we asked for volunteers to be on the Nominating Committee to fill our leadership positions for the upcoming 2021-2020 fiscal year. They are: Cathy Kissel, Cathy Young, Ellen Dihel, Helen Taufaasau, Jane Winslow, Bonnie Trustin and Miho Teipel. Kudos to these ladies that volunteered for this task. Please
open your hearts to consider a board position for this next year. It does “take a village” and we need you now more than ever to help!
 
Kung Hee Fat Choy!
March is the Big Month for Our
Strategic Planning Meetings
When: Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 10:30 AM
What: Our Annual Evaluation Meeting - A Yearly Tradition!
Where: Zoom Meeting With Break-out Sessions
 
Hard to believe it was almost a year ago when we had our last annual evaluation meeting! We met in member's homes in small groups and had amazing discussions and shared important ideas about plans for the year to come. We left the meetings prepared to update our Action Plan and were inspired by everyone's thoughts and suggestions for the future.

We quickly learned that our strategies for 2020 would need to be adjusted and we would have to come up with some contingency plans to reach our goals.  
 
As we meet this year, we will continue the tradition of looking toward the future - first by presenting our Slate of Officers for 2021 - 2022 and then we will have small break-out sessions guided by a facilitator for each group. Everyone will have an opportunity to share about the struggles we have faced in 2020, but more importantly, we will share what these struggles have taught us and how we have grown and adapted. Let's reflect on the changes and adjustments we have made in the last year and focus on our successes.
 
Reflecting on 2020 and the great lessons we learned allows us to now focus on 2021. Rather than emphasizing the challenges it will be much more exciting to talk about how we successfully faced those challenges!
 
We will try to make it possible for all your voices to be heard - if not via Zoom, then we will find another way to be sure you are able to share your thoughts with all of us!
Finance Committee
Meeting on February 24
Assistance League of Hawaii’s Finance Committee will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 starting at 9:30 am ‘Ohana Room.

Committee Members include Finance Chairman – Margie Van Swearingen; Treasurer - Nancy Sparacino; Assistant Treasurers; Andrea Cyriacks, Ellen Wilson; Strategic Planning - Helen Taufa’asau; Thrift Shop - Sharon Ehrhorn; Resource Development – Carol Jones; Philanthropic Programs - Bonnie Trustin; OSB - Laurelyn Berger; We Care - Jane Winslow; Share – Karen Kehoe; Outreach – Miho Teipel: Literary Services - Lavonne Holmberg and President ExOfficio – Mary Monohon.

The agenda will include Review of the 2020-2021 budget, and preparation of the 2021-2022 Budget. Please consult with your committee as to your needs for next fiscal year. You may want to decide to increase, keep the same, or decrease the amount of money in your annual budget.

We will also hold an annual review of Chapter Investment Policy.
 Outreach Helps UH Manoa’s College
of Tropical Agriculture and
Human Resources Students
By Peggy Monell

Assistance League of Hawaii member volunteers responded in kind to a request form the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) program for assistance in this time of need.
 
Jessica Radovich who is the Academic and Student Affairs Educational Specialist at CTAHR inquired if we could help with students struggling to stay in school and pay all their bills.
Students were surveyed to see what their biggest concerns were during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are stressed out about being able to get food as CTAHR’s funding sources have been depleted.
 
Jessica asked if we might be able to help purchase non-perishable food items for them.
 
Assistance League of Hawaii to the rescue! Outreach chair Miho Teipel and I took Jessica to Costco and went food shopping. We were given a budget of $1500.00 and were able to supply 150 students with enough food for one month each. The look of happiness and tears of gratitude on their faces reinforced my love for what we do as the Assistance League of Hawaii.
 
The students at CTAHR study farming, agriculture, natural resources, and environmental studies. Their mission is to create and deliver knowledge that supports and strengthens families, agricultural and food systems, and the natural environment. CTAHR educates and serves the people of Hawaii and those from around the world with integrity and excellence.
 
Learn more about CTAHR at their website. https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/
A load of groceries were donated to the University of Hawaii students in the College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources last month. The donation is part of Assistance League of Hawaii's Outreach program. Students in the CTAHR program were thankful for the donation.
 Action Week This Month
Assistance League of Hawaii's Marketing Committee has put together an online presentation for students at more than 100 invited schools this month. Part of Assistance League's national Action Week, the online program which consists of a slideshow and worksheets will be unveiled early for Action Week (Feb. 22 to 26) starting on February 15.
A link to the presentation will be posted on our website. Look for the Action Week logo.
February Thrift Shop Update
After several months of “Covid” – at least we can say that things are running smoothly at the Thrift Shop. Of course this is due to the wonderful ladies who work downstairs at the register and those who “slave away” upstairs. Many have already received their first vaccine shots.

January 2021 totals $14,368.16 – of which $1,335 was due to the Urquhart donation.

Our homeless resident for the past 2 years is gone but he has been replaced by a variety of people. We continue to work on protecting our Kaheka St. area. and we still have the security firm checking each morning.

Photo inset: Jody models red high heels available for sale.
February 2021 Thrift Shop Calendar
Downstairs Schedule * All Shifts 9:00 am to 1:15 pm

Regular Meeting on Wednesday, February 12 Starting at 10:30 AM
This is a virtual meeting using the Zoom conferencing app.

Finance Committee Meeting • February 24 | 9:30 am | Ohana Room
Your Monthly Service Hours

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 to our donors. 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, Vicki Fay - Telephone (808) 282-0878. Your hours can also be sent by email to: vandwfay@mac.com
Amazon.com donates 0.5% of qualifying AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. Why not choose Assistance League of Hawaii? Here’s how it works:
1) Simply visit smile.amazon.com.
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3) Select Assistance League of Hawaii as the charitable organization.
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5) You can add a bookmark for smile.amazon.com to make it easier to return again to shop at AmazonSmile.

Once you have Assistance League of Hawaii registered with your Amazon Smile account, every time you shop at Amazon that .5% of your purchases help us! Mahalo.
Learn more at our website: www.hawaii.assistanceleague.org

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF HAWAII, 1505 Young StreetHonoluluHI 96826
Telephone (808)946-1505 • Email: althrift281@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor: Melvin Ah Ching assistanceleaguehimarketing@gmail.com