About 50 members, friends, and guest speakers gathered recently for our Spring into Summer Luncheon, to celebrate another very successful year, to recognize members who had helped in achieving those successes, and to hear from a school we serve about the impact of our programs. As an added bonus, we raffled off four lovely baskets reflecting the summer theme that had been artfully crafted by a member. Most items had been donated by our members; however, the Beer & Baseball Basket included not only a certificate donated by Old Bust Head Brewing Co., Vint Hill, VA, for eight people to sample options at the brewery, but also two tickets to a future Washington Nationals baseball game. We are very grateful to the Nationals and Old Bust Head for those donations.
During the luncheon, our chapter cited for particular honor six members who had contributed significantly to our chapter’s many achievements. Two members received awards sponsored by our National organization that are named for the two founders of Assistance League. Kathy Jackson received the Anne Banning Leadership award and Pat Thompson received the Ada Edwards Laughlin award. In addition, three members were honored as Shining Stars — Lynn Barron, Vernetta Gaiani, and Nannette Henderson — for their ongoing support of the chapter. Also, Dorine DiConti was recognized as a Super Nova for her willingness to help our chapter in several significant ways immediately after becoming a member during the past year.
The luncheon also featured reports by two administrators at an elementary school we serve that included touching anecdotes to illustrate the positive impacts that our programs have had on their students and families. The Principal and Family Coordinator noted that the kids especially love the weekend food bags. They also reviewed how important the grocery gift cards have been for struggling families, how happy the students were to receive new books at the book fair, and how proud and joyful students were when they received new shoes, clothing, and winter jackets. After their reports, a guest shared how moved he had been by the accounts of the amazing work that we do, and most especially by the two speakers’ stories about those programs. He shared that he had been a child who needed similar kinds of help and he noted, based on that experience, that: There is no such thing as a small act of kindness. He urged that Assistance League continue our efforts to help as many students as possible. Everyone left the luncheon with a greater awareness of the important impact that the chapter’s programs have had in the community. Join Assistance League and know that glow too!
