Assistance League Of Huntington Beach

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE VOLUNTEERS TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS THROUGH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.

OPERATION SCHOOL BELL IS A PROGRAM THAT BEGAN IN 1975. DUE TO COVID, WE EXPANDED THE PROGRAM'S PARAMETERS. IT PROVIDED UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN NEED INCLUDING HOMELESS CHILDREN, REFERRED FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS, WITH WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE THE 5 PILLARS OF SUPPORT: CLOTHING, FOOD, HYGIENE, LITERACY, AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES. PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS IN K THROUGH 12 TO SHOP FOR THESE ITEMS INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND ASSISTS THEIR FAMILY'S ABILITY TO BLEND WITHIN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022, WE SERVED 897 STUDENTS AT 118 EVENTS. SINCE THE PROGRAM BEGAN, WE HAVE HELPED OVER 49,100 STUDENTS.

OPERATION NEW BEGINNINGS PROVIDES CLOTHING AND OTHER ESSENTIAL NEEDS FROM OUR THRIFT STORE TO QUALIFIED ADULTS AND CHILDREN. THEY ARE REFERRED FROM VARIOUS COMMUNITY PARTNER AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS. OPERATION NEW BEGINNINGS ALSO SUPPORTS VETERANS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS. THIS SUPPORT HELPS THEM MEET THEIR EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND GOALS. PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIPS ARE ALSO PROVIDED TO SINGLE PARETNS WORKING TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN TO ASSIST THEM WITH THE COST OF SCHOOLING WHILE WORKING TO PAY BILLS. THE OPERATION NEW BEGINNINGS 2021-2022 PROGRAM SERVED 185 CLIENTS. OUR CHAPTER VOLUNTEERS ALSO PREPARED EMERGENCY BAGS OF ESSENTIAL CLOTHING THAT WERE PROVIDED TO 11 MCKINNEY- VENTO (HOMELESS) STUDENTS.

SUPPORT OUR SENIORS, STARTED IN 2003, ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF LOWER INCOME, HOMEBOUND OR AT RISK OLDER ADULTS TO ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROMOTE A MORE SUCCESSFUL AGING PROCESS. COORDINATION IS DONE THROUGH OUR AUXILIARY DREAMCATCHER'S PROGRAM. OLDER ADULTS ARE PROVIDED WITH GROCERY GIFT CARDS AND BUS PASSES AS WELL AS GIFT BAGS TWICE A YEAR IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. 400 RECIPIENTS WERE AIDED THIS LAST YEAR. 538 GROCERY AND TRANSIT CARDS WERE PURCHASED IN 2021-2022. ADDITIONALLY, 50 SEASONAL GIFT BAGS WERE DISTRIBUTED CONTAINING ESSENTIAL ITEMS AS WELL AS HANDMADE KITCHEN TOWELS. CARDS MADE BY OUR MEMBERS WITH ENCOURAGING NOTES FOR THE SENIORS WERE ALSO GIVEN.

ALL OTHER SERVICE AND PROGRAMS OFFERED 2021-2022 SCHOLARSHIPS - PART OF OUR PHILANTHROPY IS TO PROVIDE OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY THE TOOLS TO ACHIEVE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GREATER ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. THIS YEAR WE AWARDED 18 SCHOLARSHIPS TO NURSING STUDENTS FROM OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND RECENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES TO HELP THEM PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION AND JOB TRAINING. ALL RECIPIENTS WERE SELECTED BASED ON NEED AND HAD TO MEET STRICT ACADEMIC CRITERIA. SCHOLAR'S HOPE - SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO QUALIFIED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WITHIN THE OAKVIEW COMMUNITY FOR THE FIRST 2 YEARS OF COLLEGE. THE PROGRAM CONTRIBUTES TO ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDING STEAM, TEAM BUILDING, FINANCIAL LITERACY, SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL SKILLS, IMPROVEMENT IN STUDY SKILLS, AND PREP CLASSES FOR SAT. 11 SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED. LINKS TO LEARNING - BEGAN IN 2008 TO PROVIDE AWARDS AND SUPPORT TO OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS TO HELP FUND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS. THIS FISCAL YEAR, ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO QUALIFIED WERE AWARDED UP TO 400 TO PURCHASE ITEMS SUCH AS BOOKS, INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS WHICH ENHANCE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR STUDENTS. IN 2021-2022, 80 GRANTS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO 118 TEACHERS. SOME GRANTS INCLUDED MULTIPLE TEACHERS. OPERATION BEAR HUG - IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL HOSPITALS AND EMERGENCY CENTERS, WE DISTRIBUTED 980 TEDDY BEARS TO PROVIDE COMFORT IN TIMES OF PERSONAL TRAUMA. OPERATION SHARE - EXCESS OR UNUSABLE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED TO THE THRIFT STORE ARE GIVEN TO OTHER 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. SILVER ANCHOR - OUR DREAMCATCHERS AUXILIARY SUPPORTS MENTALLY IMPAIRED MEN AND WOMEN IN THE PARTIAL OUT-PATIENT PROGRAM ASSOCIATED WITH HUNTINGTON BEACH HOSPITAL. ALZHEIMER'S FAMILY SERVICE CENTER - THE CENTER PROVIDES DREAMCATCHERS WITH WISH LISTS TO SUPPORT MEMORY THERAPY AND MEDICAL WELL BEING. THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER PROGRAM - THE DREAMCATCHERS AUXILIARY PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE IN NEED OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THE ASSISTEENS AUXILIARY HELPS LOW INCOME SINGLE PARENTS GIVE THEIR CHILDREN A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION THEY OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT HAVE. THEY ASSIST WITH A CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR PROJECT SELF SUFFICIENCY PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN.