CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY
Mission: Assistance League volunteers transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs. Vision: Essential needs are met in our community and families flourish.

President's Message

This has been an exceptionally busy year. With COVID-19 in our rearview mirror, we are concentrating on expanding the services we provide through our philanthropic programs. We are increasing services to existing agencies and adding new agencies. Our focus has always been to fill unmet needs in our community. And we are excited to work with our partners to explore new possibilities.

Our Community Needs Program is expanding. Working with Volunteers of America, we supply toiletry kits to at-risk seniors housed at their Senior Safe House. We are now providing career appropriate clothing to Community Against Sexual Harm's Reset program graduates. These are the same participants that receive incentives and rewards as encouragement to stay in the Reset program.

Last May we awarded 30 scholarships to deserving community college students. We hope to increase the number of awards this year. Applications for this year's scholarship awards are open. If you know of a deserving individual who might benefit from our program, information can be found on our website at https://www.assistanceleague.org/sacramento/template-scholarship/

Another new initiative is to expand our Operations School Bell^® program to include middle schools. From our partnership with the San Juan Unified School District, we learned that middle school students were greatly impacted during the pandemic. They do not always receive the same level of support that elementary and high school students receive.

May your holiday season bring you special moments and happy memories. Wishing you much love, health, and laughter in the New Year.

Carol Wacker,

President

California Foundation for Stronger Communities
Selects Fresh Start,
as $10,000 Grant Recipient

Fresh Start, a component of our Community Needs Program, was started in 2017. It targets three areas: women and their children who have survived sexual exploitation, foster youth ages 18-21 who are transitioning from Sacramento County care to independence, and victims of sexual assault. Over the years, our support of clothing, housing essentials, hygiene and cleaning products, as well as newborn essentials have helped over 11,000 individuals.

This heartwarming endorsement by the California Foundation for Stronger Communities allows us to continue to assist these underserved segments of our community.

4th Annual Great Pumpkin Golf Scramble
Huge Success

The weather was perfect, although it was a bit chilly (and dark) for arrivals at Rancho Murieta Country Club at 6:30 a.m. There were lots of orange and black attire and Halloween-themed outfits.

Preliminary numbers indicate a net revenue of $31,404 for the event. This great support from the community will boost our ability to provide the enhanced philanthropic program services planned for this fiscal year.

We have booked Rancho Murieta Country Club on Monday, October 28, 2024 for next year’s event.

A huge thank you to our sponsors, the over 100 golfers who played in the scramble, and all committee members and event volunteers for their efforts to make this event successful.

Congratulations to all of the winners!

- Men's Flight

1st: Chase Armer, Joe Alves, Ricardo Castillo, Ryan Carbonetti (Planned Solutions)

2nd: Adham Sbieh, Todd Bollenbach, Eric Johnson, Glen Ikeda (Socotra)

- Women's Flight

1st: Valerie Gleeson, Leilani Fiorentini, Karen Neidner, Jamie Trahan - Project Hope

2nd: Valerie DeVoe, Michelle Silvester, Sarah Ayres, Connie Thomas

- Mixed Flight

1st: Claudia Reilly, Greg Elko, Daron Bryant, Mike Phipps

2nd: Angelo Lutz, Al Brown, Pete Edwards, Bonnie Shewchuk

- Perseverance Award

Diane Frasinetti, Carol Kenobbie, Elle Skurla, Marti Gatlin

Reaching Out Is Making Huge Strides to Bring Aid in One-Time Need Situations

Reaching Out, a component of our Community Needs Program, continues to provide Welcome Home Bins to Sacramento Steps Forward and First Step Communities (FSC). Additionally, we purchased clothing items and hygiene kits for the FSC North A Street shelter. Both of these agencies provide outreach to the unhoused population and connect them to needed resources, such as mental health, substance use counseling, and housing services.

Our partner, Foster Youth Education Fund, reports that transitional foster youth continue to experience high need due to the pressures of inflation. We were excited to sponsor a Target shopping trip for the graduating college seniors, where they purchased needed household items to help get them started! 

We have expanded the assistance provided to Sacramento County Superior Court with the addition of their new collaborative court, Mental Health Diversion Court. We continue to support their clothes closet and other client needs, helping their Drug Court clients get their lives back on track. Probation has highlighted their partnership with Assistance League in their year-end report to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

We have an exciting pilot initiative with Katherine Johnson Middle School, a high needs middle school currently housed at Encina High School. Our goal is to support positive academic outcomes by increasing both parent and student engagement.

We provided pizza for their Back-to-School night. Last year, 31 parents attended. This year, that number increased to 150. Not only did they come for pizza, but they stayed to talk with teachers and visit the various resource tables. Principal Smith shared that the staff meeting the following day was very emotional. Teachers had never had that kind of response to those events. 

As part of this pilot, we will also provide materials for a garden box project, diversity books for classroom libraries, incentives to reward positive student behavior, and support for various parent events.