The Anne Banning Leadership Award is named after the founder of Assistance League, who promoted the growth of effective volunteerism through leadership and education. This award demonstrates the importance and value of leadership to Assistance League chapters, while also honoring the accomplishments and dedication of the recipient.

This year, the recipient of this special award  is our long-time Kids In Need chair, Marie Bossie.

“It is my true pleasure to award the Anne Banning Leadership Award to Marie Bossie for her leadership, kindness, and dedication to Assistance League of the Chesapeake,” said chapter president Maryann Gosnell. “Our chapter is fortunate to have a member who has worked tirelessly for Kids In Need. Her contributions to our community and to this program are impossible to fully enumerate,” Maryann added in making the presentation via Zoom at the May regular meeting of the membership.

Marie has been known to hop in her car and drive to Old Navy stores far and wide to locate clothing. For KIN, she works almost year-round to ensure that we have the proper inventory at the lowest-possible cost, that measuring is accurate, and that uniforms are packaged and distributed.

Not content to just lead our KIN program, Marie volunteers with our chapter’s sing-alongs for seniors, collects donations for the annual Stork’s Nest Baby shower, and spearheads collecting winter hats and gloves to pair with the uniform packages. She also helps with our Project Literacy program. Since joining our chapter in 2006, Marie has served as president, vice-president of philanthropic programs, strategic planning chair, education chair and bylaws chair/parliamentarian.