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September , 2016

“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present,

touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.” Anonymous

Dear Members,

There is so much excitement in the air as September arrives! We have hit our stride in

Operation School Bell; Steps to Success will offer more opportunities to interact with and

serve our community. Our new Philanthropic Event Discovery Day at the St. Louis Zoo will

provide an opportunity to extend our reach and celebrate new shoes and new experiences

with 100 students from Adams Elementary St. Louis Public School. We have invited our

grantors to join us for the day and hope we see many of them participating in the joy their

generosity brings to so many children and their parents!

Isn’t the Imagine! invitation beautiful? Vicki Merz and Elaine Kotovsky outdid themselves

and we are so grateful! Just wait until you see the set design. A word of advice…get your

reservations in early. Joan Hill and company have planned a spectacular event. Bring your

cell phone because we will use online bidding for auction items and Ring the Bell. We have a

great partner in Gesture helping us to move into the smart phone age. They will have staff

there to help. We are looking forward to a full house and a memorable evening.

On November 5, we will partner with Barnes and Noble at West County Mall to sponsor a

book fair on behalf of our Literacy Program within Operation School Bell. We will also be the

recipient of books purchased at the register. More information will be coming, but keep this in

mind as you think about holiday gift-giving.

Thank you to all of our members who make the magic happen through all of our philanthropic

programs, fundraising efforts, and support activities. Your 63,900 volunteer hours last year

are valued at $1,501,650 in our financial statements. What a remarkable achievement.

Touching the past, present and future…isn’t that what we are about? We stand on the rock

solid foundation of our Mission, Vision, and Core Values. We plant, nurture and cultivate

hope in our community through our philanthropic programs. We make a difference in the

lives of so many deserving people in St. Louis; over 50,000 in 2015-16. Be proud of what

you do, my friends. You make the world a better place!

Gratefully,

Kathy

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The Education Committee is looking forward to welcoming the fall class of new members.

The orientation schedule is as follows:

First Orientation (including an Expo), Friday, October 14 at 9:30 a.m.

Second Orientation (at Fantastic Finds) Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday,

October 20 at 9:00 a.m.

Third Orientation, Monday, November 14 at 9:30 a.m.

Conferences and Workshops chairmen, Mary Calcaterra and Judy Rosson

are busy planning classes for Assistance League University. There will be

an Excel Class taught by Barbara Stevens on Friday, October 28,

1:00 – 3:00, at headquarters. More information will follow.

Jan Hunt, VP Education

education@stlouisassistanceleague.org

Thank you so much for your enthusiastic recommendations of new members to attend our

Fall Informational Coffee! If you have recommended someone for membership, please let

us know if you will attend the Coffee with them. We are now gladly accepting names of

prospective new members for our Spring Informational Coffee, to be held on

February 17.

Save the date for our New Member Social on Oct. 26, 3:00-5:00 at Mulligan's. This will

be a wonderful opportunity to meet and welcome our newest members.

A Flu Vaccine Clinic will be held after our regular monthly meeting on Monday,

September 12, 11:30-1:30 at Headquarters.

Lisa Breer, VP Membership

members@stlouisassistanceleague.org

Need a New Name Badge?

$9.00 each

Contact: Lisa Breer

Lcbreer@msn.com

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Wow, thank you to all who attended the August monthly meeting and gave generously! Your

donations gave our Silent Auction volunteers a big boost!

Imagine! 2016 received liquor, gift cards and monetary donations. Collectively, those

donations were a tremendous supplement to prior donations solicited by many other members.

Thank you so much!

While September 5th is the final date that donations can be accepted, it would be

very helpful if as many donations as possible could be brought to the Boardroom at

Headquarters by Monday, August 22! Please place donations inside the blue

container to the left of boardroom door. When making any donation, please fill out the Event

Donor Receipt form and remember to give a value for your donation.

Currently the committee is seeking: Remy Martin and Hennessy cognacs, Bombay gin, Grand

Dewars and Johnnie Walker Scotches plus these liquors: Chambord, Cointreau, Godiva,

Frangelico, Drambuie and DiSarono. Questions? Contact Silent Auction Chairman, Lynne

Turley, by emailing her at difan1961@gmail.com or calling her at 314-392-9906.

After receiving your email invitation to Imagine! 2016 please do

yourself a favor. Respond by September 19 and have your name

entered into a drawing for a prize given out at our October 3rd regular

meeting. Be that winner!

Authors Brunch

Happy, happy news to report as Cathy Inkley has agreed to serve as Vice Chair of Authors

Brunch. Along with Sue Sheehan as our chair, we are going to have another wonderful Authors

Brunch to look forward to this spring. Sue and her committee have already been hard at work

on the Brunch, but you’ll have to wait for more details.

Thank you for all you do to help raise the funds for our philanthropic programs.

Jeannine Aldridge, VP Fund Development

jeanniealdridge@yahoo.com

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BARNES AND NOBLE TO HOST A BOOK FAIR

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2016

9 A.M. TO 9 PM.

Kathy Reese and I have met with Josh Grogan, the Community

Business Development Manager, of the West County Barnes and

Noble store. They will host a book fair for us! This book fair will be

the kick off to a two month long book drive of which Assistance

League will also be the recipient.

Part of the proceeds of almost anything purchased that day

(including coffee from the café) will come to Assistance League.

There are just a few exceptions which will be addressed later. The

only hitch is that you will need a special voucher provided by

Barnes and Noble/Assistance League that will be given out at our

October meeting. We will have a supply at headquarters for

anyone to pick up. This could be a major fundraiser for our new

Literacy Program. We will have a presence at the store to answer

questions for anyone coming in the store and hand out Assistance

League of St. Louis material.

More will be forthcoming at the September and October monthly

meetings. So get your lists ready and come join us for a shopping

extravaganza at Barnes and Noble, West County location.

Barbara Doering, Literacy Program Chairman

sqrlcg2010@gmail.com

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It Is Amazing How Far Fantastic Finds Can Reach

Fantastic Finds summer clearance Sale was Aug. 9th thru Aug. 21st. One Saturday during

our Summer Clearance Sale, three lovely ladies stopped in to visit and do some serious

shopping. One of the girls bought bags and bags of clothing for the school she helps

support. She said the girls at Friends of St. Anne’s Girls’ School in Kenya will be thrilled to

receive such lovely clothes.

Another day, Maureen Amick brought her friend and grandmother to

shop at Fantastic Finds. Mary Belgeri picked out some beautiful

coordinates for her to try on and of course the suit fit her perfectly.

To see a lovely 94 year woman so happy says a 1,000 words. She

wore it out of the store for that night’s 5 o’clock mass.

Grandmother to John O’Leary (Author-On Fire).

The Vatterott Foundation has been a huge help to Fantastic Finds. We had rented a

storage unit for a few months but it was time to empty it. Mike and his brother came on a

rainy, Saturday morning, loaded up their truck, delivered the furniture to Fantastic Finds

and then made another run. This was a huge moving expense we did not have to incur.

What a blessing to have such a helping hand.

Fantastic Finds is now preparing for Fall and displays are being set up. We are starting to

gather items for the upcoming October 8th Imagine! Gala. We will have tables set up

with items for purchase.

A big thank you to everyone who works so hard to make Fantastic Finds such a beautiful

resale shop. We are in need of purses, children’s clothes, and furniture.

Hope to see you at the store.

Mary Ann Cariola, Chairman

maccariola@msn.com

fantasticfinds@stlouisassistanceleague.org

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RRREADEADEAD ABOUTABOUTABOUT OUROUROUR NEWNEWNEW PROGRAMPROGRAMPROGRAM

Project ROSE has adopted a new agency to assist on a

monthly basis. Our new program is named ASK (Assault

Survivor Kit) and provides clothing to women who have been

sexually assaulted. We work directly with the Women’s Resource Center located at the

YWCA in Clayton. Phyllis Miller is the director of the WRC and has 30 volunteers who

deliver our kit bags to the victim at the local hospitals. In the kit is a pair of underpants,

bra, shirt, sweatpants and cosmetic bag with personal care products. The SART (Sexual

Assault Response Team) volunteers provide support, information and resources to rape

victims in local emergency departments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week serving more

than 400 victims a year. The personal clothing is sometimes held for evidence so the

victim needs clothing to return home. The WRC provides group and individual

counseling by professional therapists at no cost to the client. The WRC provides

services to approximately 400 victims on an annual basis. We provide 40 ASK kits each

month to the WRC for distribution.

Linda McMillian, Project ROSAE Chairman

lkmcmillan4@yahoo.com

Shutterfly photo books are replacing the photo albums found under coffee tables and on

bookshelves. This year, archives will attempt to create a chronology of the fabulous

events and activities of our members supporting the community. If you have any

knowledge or experience in creating a Shutterfly photo book, you could be of invaluable

help this Fall.

If that is not your primary area of interest, then you can help in archival collecting for

this year. Please contact Harriet Jung at 314-434-2621 or harrietj@hotmail.com

Thanks: Harriet Jung, Archives Chairman

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Contributions to Assistance League Kirkwood PEO Group In Memory of Dr. George Alexander Jeanne and Jim Boden In Memory of Jim Aufderheide In Memory of Charles Arnold Kayla Kremer Jeanne and Jim Boden In Memory of Herb Harjes In Memory of Dennis Kindsvater Andrea Capra Crystal and John Beuerlein Kayla Kremer Kayla Kremer In Memory of Pat Hutton In Memory of David Roscovar Jeanne and Jim Boden Jeannine and Chuck Aldridge Jeri May

In Memory of Mickey McNearney In Honor of Lois Nelson Jeanne Belle Jeanne Belle

In Honor of Pam Bogosian In Honor of Sandy and Whitney Rubin (FLAIR) Virginia Friedman Jeanne Belle Ann Hansen Linda and Russell McMillan Contributions to Operation School Bell Contributions to STEPS In Memory of Herb Harjes In Honor of Pam Bogosian Sylvia Murphy Jane Harbron In Honor of Linda McDonald In Memory of Pete DeRum Sylvia Murphy Barbara and David Gifford In Memory of Tom Polansky Dixie and Phil Seifert Contributions to My Own Fun Stuff SSM St. Joseph Health Center

Vicki Hill, Individual Donors Chairman

victoriadhill6@gmail.com

Individual Donor's

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Crain, Pauline 1

Hansen, Ann 1

Senci, Peri 3

Scuzzo, Meta 4

Beck, Julia Ann 6

Panter, Marilyn 9

Amick, Maureen 12

Morgan, Carol 12

Shoemake, Rita 12

Cassat, June 13

Cockrell, Joyce 14

Coffman, Barbara 14

Jeffries, Barbara 17

DeRum, Elizabeth 19

Daniels, Mary Beth 20

Kotovsky, Elaine 20

Greeves, Karen 21

Heidenreich, Carolyn 21

Rivera-Ripoll, Maria 21

Walter, Judith 21

Burkard, Diane 24

Kloss, Lynn 24

Miller, Peggy 24

Perlak, Marita 24

Franey, Mary Harms 25

Stoll, Martha 25

Worley, Suzanne 26

Brooks, Erline 27

Gan, Bee-Lan 27

Kindsvater, Rhonda 27

Rich, Adrienne 27

Plummer, Patricia 28

Raphael, Marilyn 29

McCann, Barbara 30

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KUDOS to Crystal Beuerlein, Website Chairman, and Diana Stewart, Website Vice

Chairman for the outstanding job they are doing on our chapter website. I spent a very

enjoyable afternoon clicking through all the features. News & Events describes our latest

activities with wonderful photos, the Member Directory is so helpful for contacting

members, and the Toolbox is a valuable resource with everything from the chapter

calendar to forms you may need. Thank you, Crystal and Diana, for making our website

attractive, comprehensive, and user friendly.

Jan Hunt

I am writing to share my gratitude with your agency for your

continued generosity towards St. Martha’s Hall. We look forward to

seeing you each month and always greatly appreciate the support

you give us. It truly is the little things that can make all the

difference in someone’s life. When we can provide a woman and her children

with basic necessitates, it truly makes her feel that much more at home and

well cared for. It is because of your help we can provide her with an increased

level of dignity. I also wanted to share this letter with you because one of our

residents wished to express her gratitude with all of you.

Sincerely, Toni

Children’s Advocate

Hi,

I am a current resident at St. Martha’s. Thank you so much for thinking about us

and donating. We really appreciate you taking time out to donate the things we need.

We really appreciate it. Thanks

Sincerely

St. Martha’s Hall Resident