Kids In Need

This year, students in eight Anne Arundel County Title I schools benefited from this program. Marty Sippel, KIN program chair, works almost year-round to ensure proper inventory, accurate measuring and distribution of school uniforms. This year, we distributed 3,077 uniform packages to 2,390 students. We met needs for:
Meade Heights – 27% of students
Tyler Heights – 100% of students
Van Bokkelen – 100% of students
Germantown – 35% of students
Georgetown East – 85% of students
Mills-Parole – 36% of students

All students receiving uniforms were in the FARM program.

Kids in Need (KIN) was back to a new normal in 2022-2023. We served eight schools; our normal seven (Germantown, Georgetown East, Meade Heights, Mills-Parole, Tyler Heights, Van Bokkelen Elementaries, and Mac Arthur Middle) plus Eastport Elementary, which approached us for the second consecutive year. In all, 3077 uniforms were distributed to 2390 grateful students. These numbers were lower than those of 21-22, because warehouse space and inventory prices would probably be issues.

KIN’s new normal now includes obtaining student measurements both in-school, and by counselor-submitted spreadsheet. At the request of the school counselors, our emergency “replenishment” for each school this year was done in April versus May. Next year, per their preference, we will replenish in February or March.

Pam Meehan continued to coordinate the toiletries portion of KIN. We gave each student a Ziploc bag of sample-size toiletries, including toothbrush, toothpaste, body soap, shampoo and conditioner. ALC supplemented donations with purchases. Betsy Zimmerman coordinated the Hats and Gloves effort, moving our donation time from January back to November. A $500 grant from Constellation Energy enabled us to give 168 sets of hats and gloves to Tyler Heights. Through donations from members, we gave 90 sets to each of the five other schools.

Project Literacy

This program provides reading, tutoring and book donations to schools. We sponsored two performances of “History Alive” by Mary Ann Jung. The performance was held at Georgetown East Elementary School and Meade Heights Elementary.

At Georgetown East Elementary School (GEES) AL Chesapeake continued providing help in the classrooms, help for special teachers, help in the Media Center, and at the Holiday Shop. Several members each week read one-on-one to second graders.

In 2023, Assistance League of the Chesapeake purchased 1,231 books from Scholastic for each student attending three Anne Arundel County schools: Georgetown East Elementary, Meade Heights Elementary, and Van Bokkelen Elementary. In addition, 560 free bonus books were presented to the media centers at those schools to enrich their collections.

Kids On The Block

The program provides puppet performances on contemporary social issues (i.e., bullying) to elementary school children. Due to the repercussions of the pandemic, we decided to videotape our show and then send notification to the schools that it was available online. Once the rules were relaxed and could go into schools, we offered to take the puppets to the schools. Four schools contacted us with the interest for us to visit them with the puppets, which we did. This was a great opportunity to reinforce the message from the video. The kids loved seeing the puppets in person.

Smiles for Seniors

This program provides sing-alongs and greeting cards to residents at senior-living facilities. The sing-alongs are well attended and received. The greeting cards are given to residents who do not otherwise receive mail. They are given out during special times of the year including Easter, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, July 4^th, etc.

Nest and Nurture Baby Shower

AL Chesapeake assists the Nest and Nurture program for nearby Baltimore Washington Medical Center by holding a baby shower for them every year. Last year AL Chesapeake donated $5,800 worth of items to the program. Young pregnant mothers, who might not otherwise seek prenatal care, participate in the program through the hospital. They earn participation points which they can spend on baby items.
This year we held the shower at an outside park. The shower included lunch and a presentation by the women who run the Nest and Nurture program. We had a planning committee of six members and attendance at the shower of 45 members and guests. Members and guests pay for their lunch along with a donation of a baby item to the Nest and Nurture. BMWC tells us that our donations have reached over 1,500 families since 2006.

Neighbors in Need

Formed in 2022, this program funnels donations from members and different organizations to many local families that are in need of essentials like clothing.

Officers for 2022-23

President: Elaine Atkinson
V.P. Membership: Jodee Hechler
V.P. Philanthropic: Jean Lily
V.P. Resource Development: Cindy Culp
Recording Secretary: Deborah Bautz
Treasurer: Debbie Connors
Education: Lyn Hopkins
Marketing Communications: Teresa Tudor
Strategic Planning: Cindy Prestandrea

Assistance League of the Chesapeake continued to serve the community in most of its programs during this pandemic year. Click on a tab below to learn more. Note that due to the pandemic, two of our programs were put on hiatus. These were our Kids On The Block anti-bullying puppet shows, and our Sing-Alongs for Seniors. These two programs will continue to be on hold until schools and nursing homes/assisted-living facilities open up again.

Kids In Need

1. We served 7 schools, and provided 3,100 uniforms to students. We also provided uniforms for the school’s emergency closets at the schools.
2. We delivered at least 797 sets of winter hats and gloves to our six elementary schools and one middle school that we work with in Kids In Need.

Project Literacy

1. We continued our tradition of providing a new book to each student at Georgetown East, Meade Heights and Van Bokkelen elementary schools at the end of the school year. Books were ordered from Scholastic with the help of Georgetown East’s media specialist, Katie Cobb. We pasted a label in each book so readers would know the book came from Assistance League of the Chesapeake. Over 1,200 books were given away.
2. Adopt-a-Teacher: When we reached out to our partner schools and asked about any additional help we could provide for them in the fall, a new fourth-grade teacher at Mills-Parole, Susan Kiser, indicated she had no books for her classroom library and no classroom supplies. Through two contacts that our members had, we were able to give her 427 new books and teaching manuals for her classroom. We then went to work gathering school supplies, including staplers, spiral notebooks, three new microscopes, pencils, crayons, highlighters, pencil sharpeners, etc.
3. One member, Jane Garbacz, kept the “Little Free Library” stocked with books. This is a little box on the grounds of Georgetown East Elementary School that contains books that students can borrow and return later.

Nest and Nurture Baby Shower

In this program, we provide baby items (clothing, diapers, car seats, strollers, etc.) to the Nest and Nurture program at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. Under-served young mothers attend prenatal doctor appointments and education classes. They are then obtain baby necessities from the Nest and Nurture program.

New Community Outreach Project – Greeting Cards for Senior Citizens

We started a new, informal community outreach project where we deliver holiday cards to seniors at the assisted living/nursing home facilities where we usually hold our sing-alongs (plus one facility that is local but not one where we hold sing-alongs). We sign and drop off a number of cards at each facility that the administrators there then give to residents who don’t see any family members. This has been positively received.

Kids In Need

1. We served 7 schools, who had a combined total of 3,600 students this school year. Of that number, approximately 924 students returned to the classroom for hybrid learning. We provided 863 of those students with uniforms. The rest were provided from the emergency closets at the schools, as students continued to trickle back to school over a 2-month period.
2. We provided a total of 450 uniforms in various sizes to replenish the schools’ emergency closets. These are for students who enroll after we measure and distribute uniforms.
3. We delivered at least 100 sets of winter hats and gloves to our six elementary schools and one middle school that we work with in Kids In Need.
4. We had a special request for socks from Van Bokkelen Elementary School. They received a grant that provided funds to give shoes to all of their students, so we were thrilled to give them 800 pairs of socks to distribute with their new shoes. 400 students each received 2 pairs of socks.
5. Many members worked to make sure we would be ready to delivery uniforms to our partner schools whenever students returned to the classrooms. So, we were prepared and ready when they asked in early February. As we were not allowed to go to the schools to measure the students, we developed a form with a few of the counselors for the parents to complete with size information. This form was distributed in many different ways by each school for parents to complete and return. Thus, we were able to obtain sizes for the students, write labels, prepare bags, pack uniforms and get them delivered to the schools. Each student had their uniform before school started on March 1.
6. Face masks were included in the uniform packages we gave to children who resumed in-person schooling.

Project Literacy

1. We continued our tradition of providing a new book to each student at Georgetown East, Meade Heights and Van Bokkelen elementary schools at the end of the school year. Books were ordered from Scholastic with the help of Georgetown East’s media specialist, Katie Cobb. We pasted a label in each book so readers would know the book came from Assistance League of the Chesapeake. Over 1,200 books were given away.
2. Adopt-a-Teacher: When we reached out to our partner schools and asked about any additional help we could provide for them in the fall, a new fourth-grade teacher at Mills-Parole, Susan Kiser, indicated she had no books for her classroom library and no classroom supplies. Through two contacts that our members had, we were able to give her 427 new books and teaching manuals for her classroom. We then went to work gathering school supplies, including staplers, spiral notebooks, three new microscopes, pencils, crayons, highlighters, pencil sharpeners, etc.
3. One member, Jane Garbacz, kept the “Little Free Library” stocked with books. This is a little box on the grounds of Georgetown East Elementary School that contains books that students can borrow and return later.

Covid Response

1. We provided math manipulatives for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students at MacArthur Middle School in Fort Meade, MD. These included fraction towers, Cuisenaire rods, snap cubes and Algebra tiles. The school requested these items to enhance the students’ at-home distance learning.
2. We provided math manipulatives for all kindergarten and first-graders and books for students at Meade Heights Elementary School. These items were for students to use at home while distance learning.
3. Two of our members kept us informed about a local food and clothing drive held weekly at one of our partner schools, Georgetown East Elementary School in Annapolis. They also helped out at the drive, which continued until the end of December 2020.
4. We purchased books requested by the principal at Meade Heights Elementary School, Fort Meade, MD.
5. We purchased 17 Chromebook computers and headsets for families at Georgetown East Elementary School, Annapolis, MD. This was a special request from the principal there. Families get one Chromebook from the school system, but families needed more than one when multiple students were distance-learning from home.
6. We purchased socks, underwear and pajamas for all 540 students at one of our partner schools, Tyler Heights Elementary School, Annapolis, MD. This was in response to a request from their principal. Our member, Pam Meehan, chaired this effort.
7. Several members stepped forward to provide clothing for a number of students at one of our partner schools, Meade Heights Elementary School. The school counselor told us about these eight families who were in dire need of help.
8. Another two members, Cindy Culp (who holds our yard sales), and Elaine Atkinson, put together dozens of bags of gently-used clothing, books and household items to deliver to families at Meade Heights Elementary School, Tyler Heights Elementary School and Mills-Parole Elementary School.
9. In response to a request from the school’s principal, we provided t-shirts with the school logo on them to all the students at Germantown Elementary School.

Stork’s Nest Baby Shower

In this program, we provide baby items (clothing, diapers, car seats, strollers, etc.) to the Stork’s Nest at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. Underserved young mothers earn points for attending prenatal doctor appointments and education classes. They then use the points to “purchase” much-needed items from the Stork’s Nest store. We found a way to hold our annual Stork’s Nest Baby Shower in a socially distanced manner. Rather than our usual sit-down luncheon, we provided lunches to-go and members drove up to the restaurant, and dropped off their donations.

Fundraising

1. We had a lot of success holding a few yard sales with all proceeds going to our chapter. We do not have a thrift store, and one of our members has taken on the job of collecting items for these yard sales and holding them at her home. They were a great source of revenue.

New Community Outreach Project – Greeting Cards for Senior Citizens

1. We started a new, informal community outreach project where we deliver holiday cards to seniors at the assisted living/nursing home facilities where we usually hold our sing-alongs (plus one facility that is local but not one where we hold sing-alongs). We sign and drop off a number of cards at each facility that the administrators there then give to residents who don’t see any family members. This has been positively received.

15th Anniversary Celebration

We celebrated our 15th year as a chapter (we were a guild prior to 2006) in the following ways:

1. We hand-delivered a note, a package of tea bags with our 15th Anniversary logo on it, and a cookie with our 15th Anniversary logo on it to each member. These items were enjoyed during our March 2020 Zoom meeting, as the kick-off of our anniversary.
2. We collected videos from various constituents and members. We played the videos at the beginning of each meeting. So far, we have shown videos of our Kids On The Block puppeteers, one of the school principals where we provide school uniforms, and a representative of the Anne Arundel County Public School system. We will have a presentation by our Sing-Alongs for Seniors committee members at our upcoming June 10 meeting (the first in-person meeting we have had since February 2020).
3. We have been sending out e-newsletters to our members. One featured our first president. The second featured our fundraisers over the years. The next one will feature another long-term member.

Due to the pandemic, two of our programs were put on hiatus. These were our Kids On The Block anti-bullying puppet shows, and our Sing-Alongs for Seniors. These two programs will continue to be on hold until schools and nursing homes/assisted-living facilities open up.

In May, we presented the Anne Banning Leadership Award to long-time Kids In Need Chair Marie Bossie.

Our officers for 2020-21 included:

President: Maryann Gosnell
V.P. Membership: Elaine Atkinson
V.P. Philanthropic: Yolanda Perry
V.P. Resource Development: Cindy Culp
Recording Secretary: Bette Henick
Treasurer: Linda Wood
Education: Kim Hudyma
Marketing Communications: Michele Kutta
Strategic Planning: Gilda Sebold

Community Outreach: In response to the pandemic, our chapter donated 30 Chromebook computers and headsets to two local elementary schools to lend to families that have more than one student at the school. Families receive from the school system one Chromebook each. But since all learning was now online, if there is more than one student in the family, learning was being impeded. Meade Heights Elementary School (Ft. Meade, Md.) and Georgetown East Elementary School (Annapolis, Md.) received the computers. The computers were paid for with money from our reserves (as voted by our membership) and through individual monetary contributions.

Kids In Need: Students in seven Anne Arundel County Title I schools benefited from this program. In 2019-20 we distributed 3,508 uniform packages to 2,643 students. We met between half and 100% of the need at each school – a 3.5% increase over last year. We were able to complete uniform distribution to schools before covid-19 closed all schools. Area dentists and our members continue to help fill the toiletry kits included with each uniform bag. Forty-three members participated in KIN.

Kids On The Block Puppet Troupe: We increased the number of puppeteers so that we now have two full troupes plus members who will help with set-up and take-down. Our troupe took a break from performing in the fall of 2019 to train new volunteers and create new scripts. Though 11 performances were scheduled for 2020, we were able to present only four due to covid-19. As soon as schools reopen and it is safe to do so, we will continue with these performances for area second grade students, teaching lessons on bullying and learning differences. Fifteen members participated in KOTB.

Project Literacy: To honor Black History Month, we sponsored a performance of “Going the Distance” by the Smithsonian Discovery Theater. It was held on February 14, 2020, at Georgetown East Elementary School. We received the funds for the performance through a grant award from the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County.

We volunteered at Meade Heights Elementary School helping with their Chessie reading program and the Holiday Shop.

At Georgetown East Elementary School we continued providing help in the classrooms, for special teachers, in the Media Center, and at the Holiday Shop. Several members helped in classrooms, one helped the ESOL teacher, working one-on-one with three Hispanic sisters, and yet another led a Pen Pal program with two third grade classes and their pen pals from two classes in rural Virginia.

The Holiday Shop is a “shop” of donated gifts that students “purchase” with good-behavior points. The gifts are for the student to give to family members during the holidays. Our members help obtain items, organize set up and take down, help students choose gifts, and wrap the gifts for the students.

We provided a hard-back book, “Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life”, to each graduating fifth grader at Meade Heights Elementary School and Van Bokkelen Elementary School. Due to the pandemic, books were mailed to each student for us. We also gave books to Georgetown East Elementary School administrators to hand out to families who came to the school for free food during the pandemic. (Usually, we would have given the books directly to the students at year-end.) Twenty-seven members participated in Project Literacy.

Sing-Alongs: This program brings music and singing to residents of four area assisted living and nursing home facilities. Each facility gets five different themed “sings” during the year. Due to the coronavirus, we could only do 17 sing-alongs before March. Thirty members participated in Sing-Alongs, performing for a total of 349 senior citizens.

Stork’s Nest Baby Shower: In December 2019 our members and guests donated $5,800 worth of items to the Stork’s Nest redemption store at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center – twice as much as the year before. This year, we held the shower at a local restaurant and were able to increase attendance. The Stork’s Nest initiative is part of the BWMC’s prenatal health-initiatives program for underserved women. Twenty members helped plan and implement the Stork’s Nest Baby Shower.

And More: In fiscal year 2019-20, our members donated 5,571 hours to our programs. Additionally, 30 non-member volunteers donated 221 hours of their time to our programs. We also launched a successful community marketing campaign which included distribution of informational packets to local businesses and participation in two First Sunday Annapolis events.

Our officers for 2019-20 included:

President: Maryann Gosnell
V.P. Membership: Elaine Atkinson
V.P. Philanthropic: Yolanda Perry
V.P. Resource Development: Cindy Culp
Recording Secretary: Bette Henick
Treasurer: Linda Wood
Education: Kim Hudyma
Strategic Planning: Michele Kutta

• March 2019: Lyn and Marie were invited back for another interview on Parent Connection, the Anne Arundel County Public Schools TV channel. This played continuously for a month. The link is https://youtu.be/yIXEM1Bt1bc
• March 2019: “What’s Up Annapolis” had a great article profiling Marie Bossie and the work of Assistance League of the Chesapeake in providing school uniforms
• March 26, 2019: Two National Board members paid a “Chapter visit” to us. Their meeting with the board (and incoming board members) was very productive and they were impressed with our work and our programs, while offering us some great ideas.
• April 2019: Our chapter was nominated for the 2019 Excellence in Education Business Partner of the Year. We were one of 8 nominees in the “large business” category and were nominated by the division of the AACPS system that works with us, as we serve the schools with uniforms and literacy support. We have a wonderful wall plaque congratulating us as a nominee

• October 2018: Lyn and Kim Hudyma attended the Leadership and Development Seminar for Nonprofit Board Members presented by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County
• October 2018: The Community Marketing committee was established. This is a group focused on promoting our chapter in a variety of creative ways.
• November 2018: Zips dry cleaners agreed to display a large banner promoting the work our chapter does with children. This has been there for almost a year as of this entry.

• Lyn Hopkins was elected President for two consecutive one-year terms – 2017 and 2018.
• Lyn was invited to be a part of a panel at Maryland Live! Casino, to highlight the benefit of their $17,000 grant to us, in the lives of the children we serve. This gave us amazing exposure in the community, business and government leaders who attended. We were awarded a grant for the third year in a row, after which we had to stand down as recipients for one year.
• During her presidency, she and the board worked with Maryann Gosnell to initiate our first crowdfunding campaign. We raised approximately $11,000 through this.
• Later in the year, Lyn and Marie Bossie (who takes care of our Kids in Need uniform program) were interviewed for the Anne Arundel County Public Schools TV channel. They were able to describe the great work done by our chapter. This included details of the massive logistics needed in order to provide uniforms for 2,500 children. The discussion also touched on other services we provide to our community, like Sing-Alongs in several assisted-living facilities. Lyn is a pianist for some of the sing-alongs.
• Lyn also joined other enthusiastic members in the Fourth of July parade in the City of Annapolis, which really served to promote our chapter and the work that we do, as members marched through the streets of our town.

• Valerie Rees was elected President for two consecutive one-year terms in 2015 and 2016.
• Our Kids In Need program provided uniforms to 1,320 students this year and 7,000 children were reached through our Literacy Program.
• Kids on The Block performed for over 900 students, and our Sing-Along programs provided entertainment and enjoyment to almost 400 seniors in assisted living facilities.
• We increased the number of students served by 30%.
• We provided emergency kits to 22 at-risk seniors; however, Partners in Care disbanded this program.
• We again participated in Make a Difference Day, collecting 1,400 books, Homeless Resource Day and our annual Stork’s Nest Shower on behalf of Baltimore Washington Medical Center. These activities represented over 8,000 volunteer hours.
• We received several grants this year: Anne Arundel County Local Development Center – $16,000; Parole Rotary – $3,000; Gap/Old Navy – $450; Severn Town Club – $500. Our primary fundraiser raised $28,000, our most financially successful to date, and our secondary fundraiser raffle raised $6,000. We had several smaller and successful fundraisers throughout the year.
• We achieved Gold Star status on Guide Star USA, Inc.
• A feasibility study committee was formed to undertake researching parameters for a possible thrift shop.
• The process of forming an advisory council was begun.
• We improved our social media presence and began the process of designing a new website in conjunction with the new national website and have improved our Facebook page.
• We designed a new and updated brochure for our chapter.
• We purchased donor base software this year and will begin to enter data to use it for future direct mailings/thank you letters/acknowledgements.
• We are exploring options for taking donations by credit card.

• Our bylaws were amended to allow our president, Bonnie Sysko, to serve a third  term as President.
• Our new Board received “Board Development Training” by leader, Judy Mullin, who came to Annapolis, Maryland, from the National organization. This was provided to us as a result of the Circle Fund award our chapter received at the 2013 national conference.
• The Chapter’s Informational Tea was moved from spring to fall to allow potential members to join and become immediately involved in AL programs.
• Three of our members attended the National Conference in Orlando, Florida.
• We once again participated in Make A Difference Day in October, collecting over 1500 books, which we donated to the local Boys & Girls Clubs, local shelters and schools.
• All of our fundraising events (primary fundraiser at Homestead Gardens/Davidsonville, raffle for a trip to New York City, and Kids in Need cards drive) were successful.  This year the Chapter applied and was approved to participate in Anne Arundel County’s Community Foundation’s “Great Give”—a 24-hour online event where members of the community donate to non-profit organizations. With a very minimal fee for processing, the Chapter raised $2,400 in this our first year of participation. We also added a new fundraiser in which local restaurants donate to AL a percentage of the cost of a meal purchased by diners on specified dates.
• We applied for a grant from the Anne Arundel County Local Development Council for $16,000 and learned at the end of the fiscal year that we were successful in winning the grant. The funds will be used for the next fiscal year for books and uniforms for children at Meade Heights and Van Bokkelen Elementary Schools.
• Our programs continue to grow as well. Operation School Bell’s “Pen Pal” program for fifth graders at one of our elementary schools was able to correspond with students in schools in California and Nepal. Our “Kids In Need” uniform program continues to expand. A new special needs school was added this year at special request from the Board of Education. We provided 1,500 uniforms to children at six schools.
• The Chapter donated over $3,800 worth of baby items and supplies to Baltimore Washington Medical Center’s “Stork’s Nest,” which serves at-risk Moms, newborns and toddlers. We delivered 50 emergency kits to homebound residents, and close to 400 residents enjoyed participating in our sing-along program. Our Kids on the Block puppeteers performed skits on bullying and learning disabilities for over 1,800 children.
• We finished our year with 72 members.
• Marie Bossie was named our Volunteer of the Year for her outstanding work with the Kids In Need program.

• Bonnie Sysko was elected to second term as President.
• In September, Circle Fund Chair Michele Kelly was informed at National Conference that our Chapter had the highest percentage of members to join Circle for a chapter with 100 members or less. The Chapter was awarded a free Board Training Session for the summer of 2014.
• In October, 12 members attended the “Comcast Hall of Fame” Awards Dinner where Chesapeake Chapter received a “Community Outreach” award for our Operation School Bell programs. The Anne Arundel County Board of Education submitted the nomination to the Chamber of Commerce.
• County Executive Laura Neuman spoke at our November meeting.
• We collected over 2,000 books for Make a Difference Day. These were distributed to Boys and Girls clubs, as well as homeless shelters in the County. We also gave over 200 books to children attending Homeless Resource Day with their parents.
• Through our Stork’s Nest program, the Chapter donated over $5000 worth of baby clothes and equipment/items to BWMC’s Stork’s nest.
• All our Operation School Bell Programs continue to expand and run smoothly. We provided over 1,000 uniforms to 5 schools.
• Fundraisers: Our primary fundraiser, “Let’s Make Magic,” was held on March 30th at Crofton Country Club. 135 guests enjoyed dinner, live and silent auctions and entertainment by Mentalist, Dick Steiner. Our net profit for this event was $18,816.
• The secondary fundraiser was a raffle for a three-day weekend at the Queen Victoria Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey. The grand prize included a $1,000 gift certificate to the Inn and $1,000 cash. The Inn donated $500 toward the gift certificate which went toward our net profit of $4942. A wine and cheese basket was the second place prize.
• The Chapter received a $7,500 grant from the Old Navy/Gap Foundation’s Fischer Award program for its community partnership with the Chapter’s Kids In Need Program, as well as a $1,000 grant from the Severn Town Club for the Kids on the Block program.

• Bonnie Sysko was elected president.
• Mary Bartley from national came to do board training.
• Kicked off our second annual Kids in Need drive.
• Connected with the Greater Severna Park Council to share who we are and what we do.
• Began a partnership with Old Navy to purchase uniforms.
• Six members attended National conference in Houston.
• Held our primary fundraiser, Island Paradise in October at Chartwell Golf and Country Club.
• Collected and distributed over 1,000 books from a community book drive as part of Make a Difference Day.
• Donated over $1,300 of baby items to Stork’s Nest at our annual baby shower.
• Held our annual holiday party.
• Held an opportunity drawing.
• Expanded the Kids in Need program to include a fifth school.
• Held our second annual recruitment meeting and tea
• Michele Kelly hosted a luncheon for all who joined Circle Fund during the year.
• Marie Bossie received the award for Volunteer of the Year.
• Ended the year with 65 members.
• Received grants from Target, Annapolis Rotary, and Parole Rotary.

• Rose Houghton was elected as president.
• The chapter held its first Mail-out fundraiser for the Operation School Bell KIN program. Cards designed by Rose Houghton were mailed and donations were accepted on line for the first time. The fundraiser generated more than $8,000 to purchase uniforms for children in four Title I schools
• Membership voted to move the primary fundraiser, Island Paradise, from spring to fall.
• The secondary fundraiser, an opportunity drawing to win a cruise to Bermuda held in the spring generated donations of $8,700.
• Operation School Bell Project Literacy reached nearly 4,000 children.
• More than 400 children received new school clothing through the KIN program.
• 80 homebound citizens were provided with emergency kits.
• Nearly 400 senior citizens enjoyed sing-along visits.
• The Kids on the Block puppet program was presented to 1,374 children.
• Both the Stork’s Nest program and Homeless Resource Day increased last year’s numbers in members of the community served.
• Grier Smokovich received the chapter’s annual Outstanding Volunteer Award, and Sue Valentine received the chapter’s first Outstanding New Member award.

• Marie Bossie elected to second term as president
• Membership marked another record of 64 members
• Initiated the “Pat On the Back” program to recognize member contributions
• 5th anniversary celebration chartering was held at Chartwell Country Club
• Received grants from Target and Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits for Operation School Bell
• Grants committee formed, much research done, three additional applications submitted with one approved from Anne Arundel County for Emergency Kits program
• Initiated agreement with Consignment shop and raised almost $1,000
• Held two successful fundraisers: Opportunity Drawing and Island Paradise
• Had extensive coverage in local papers
• Purchased equipment for Speakers’ Bureau
• Developed new brochures
• A new tri-fold display board was built by Rose Houghton
• Initiated agreement with Anne Arundel County Public Schools
• Expanded the Operations School Bell Literacy programs at Georgetown East and Meade Heights
• Expanded the Kids In Need program to provide uniforms for four schools: Georgetown, Meade, Tyler and Van Bokkelen
• KOTB extended performances to 17 schools and began training a 2nd puppet troupe to begin next year
• Community Outreach provided over $1,300 in baby items to Storks Nest and assisted with Anne Arundel County Homeless Resource Day
• A three-year strategic plan was developed and approved
• Bylaws were updated, a new policy for record retention and destruction was written, and Standing Rules were revised and brought in compliance with National requirements
• Six members attended National Conference in New Orleans
• Obtained storage facility for six months free
• Membership provided over 8,000 hours of community service
• Presented the annual Volunteer of the Year Award to Lyn Hopkins for her contributions to the success of Island Paradise auction, her weekly distribution of the Monday Minutes and playing the piano for Sing-Alongs at Sunrise.

• Pam Meyers was elected to a second term as president.
• All philanthropic programs strengthened and increased.
• Membership activities strengthened and increased.
• Fundraising held an Extravaganza fashion show and luncheon in the fall, a Gift Wrapping fundraiser in December, and a Jimmy Buffet theme party with silent auction in the spring.
• AL Chesapeake received grants from the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, the Chartwell Foundation, and the Severna Park Bridge Club.
• Chapter Services made their post-chartering visit in February 2009.
• In June, the board awarded the first annual Outstanding Volunteer Award to Maureen Smith in recognition of her accomplishments with Operation School Bell Project Literacy at Georgetown East Elementary and her participation in all programs.

• Pam Meyers was elected president.
• Membership approved a Community Outreach Program. AL Chesapeake donated unused items from the Emergency Kits program to a local food bank, and held a baby shower at the annual holiday meeting to benefit the Stork’s Nest Project run by Baltimore-Washington Medical Center.
• AL Chesapeake received grants from Verizon Check Into Literacy and Coldwell Banker Cares Foundation.
• Fundraising efforts included a Spring event: “Magic Moments” magic and mentalism performance and auction and a Gift Wrapping fundraiser at Borders Bookstore in December.

• Dee Campbell was elected president.
• All philanthropic programs strengthened and increased.
• Membership activities strengthened and increased.
• Fundraising held its Books and Brunch event in the spring and the Gift Wrapping fundraiser at Borders Bookstore in December.

• Darla Burchell was elected president.
• At leadership training in June 2005, Guild counselor Sue White recommended that AL Chesapeake complete the necessary requirements to become a Chapter.
• The financial review was completed pro bono by David Sparks, CPA.
• IRS applications were completed.
• All Board and Regular meeting minutes, all necessary paperwork for Philanthropic programs and Fundraising events were submitted to National Assistance League for review.
• A Chartering agreement was submitted to National. Kakey Smith also submitted a request to the Governor’s office for a proclamation acknowledging Chapter status. In January, the application for Chapter status was approved.
• March 2006: A pre-chartering meeting, hosted by Grier Smokovich, was held for National AL representatives, AL Chesapeake Board members and Committee Chairs.

• Joan and Bruce Hechler hosted a cocktail party for members and spouses. The party was underwritten by Dee and Ric Campbell.
• The Chartering Ceremony and luncheon was held on March 30, 2006 at Chartwell Country Club. Cathy Vitale, Vice-Chair of the County Council in Severna Park, was the keynote speaker. National Assistance League President, Judy Mullin, and Guild Counselor Sue White conducted the ceremony. Assistance League of the Chesapeake was formally welcomed as the 114th chapter of Assistance League and the first chapter in the State of Maryland.
• A donation was made to the Assistance League Circle Fund as a thank you for all the help, patience and support received by the advisors through the chaptering process. This was a major accomplishment for the AL Chesapeake Board and membership.
• The Fundraising Committee held its fourth annual Books and Brunch event in November and a Gift Wrapping fundraiser at Borders Bookstore in December.
• The Philanthropic Committee focused on strengthening and increasing all programs.
• Membership activities strengthened and increased.

• Sue Oster served a second term as president.
• Operation School Bell KIN provided emergency clothing to Woodside Elementary School and Georgetown East Elementary School.
• Lands End donated over 250 back packs to AL Chesapeake through the Operation School Bell program. These back packs were distributed through the Center for Family Services, DRU Family Support Center, and Sarah’s House as a special aspect of the KIN program.
• AL Chesapeake partnered with Partners In Care, Inc. in Severna Park, Maryland and added the Emergency Kits Program for home-bound seniors and disabled individuals.
• Several members attended the Assistance League convention in Denver and continued to work on requirements for becoming a Chapter.
• Fundraising efforts included the third annual Books and Brunch in November 2004, Gift wrapping at Borders Bookstore in December, and a Silver & Wine event at Blanca Flor in May 2005.

• Sue Oster elected as president.
• Fundraising held its second Books and Brunch event in November and Gift Wrapping fundraiser at Borders Bookstore in December.
• Several successful social events were held at members’ homes, and members participated in Severna Park’s July 4th parade.
• The Philanthropic Committee added the Kids in Need (KIN) clothing program under Operation School Bell in addition to the reading and tutoring program, Project Literacy.

Philanthropic programs were initiated:

• The first Sing-Along was held at Sunrise Assisted Living in Severna Park.
• The first Kids on the Block™ performance was held at Woodside Elementary School in Glen Burnie using puppets on loan from Junior League® of Annapolis (long term loan). In March, AL Chesapeake members voted to purchase 2 new puppets for KOTB program.
• Operation School Bell started a Guest Reader program at Woodside Elementary School in Glen Burnie. We later added a second school in Annapolis, Georgetown East Elementary.
• November and December 2002 — The first annual Books and Brunch fundraiser was held, as well as the first Holiday Gift Wrapping fundraiser at Borders Bookstore in Annapolis Mall.
• Several successful socials were also held during this year.

• July 2001 — AL Chesapeake was granted Guild status with 44 charter members. As a guild, AL Chesapeake needed approval from National for all philanthropic programs, fundraising events, public relations, brochures, etc. A Guild Counselor provided Leadership training and support to the guild.
• The Philanthropic Committee adopted two programs: Operation School Bell^®, and Senior Multi-Interest Lifetime Enrichment (S.M.I.L.E.).
• October 2001 — The Guild held its first fundraiser, a tag sale.
• November 2001-March 2002 — Articles of Incorporation, Indemnification Clause, By-laws and Standing Rules were approved by National. AL Chesapeake was incorporated on December 3, 2001 in the State of Maryland with the pro-bono legal assistance of Dennis Sysko, Esquire.
• March and April 2002 — AL Chesapeake held two fundraisers: an art auction and a yard sale.
• Two social events for members and spouses were also held.

• The Extension Committee agreed to submit Assistance League of the Chesapeake’s request for Guild status to National.

Three organizational meetings were held to accomplish the following goals:

1. Select a name — Assistance League of the Chesapeake, Inc.
2. Develop Charter Membership — 44 Charter members
3. Elect Officers — a Nominating Committee was formed, a slate of officers was presented and elected by the membership on May 10, 2001. Dee Campbell was elected President.
4. Organization — By-laws were written and Philanthropic and Fundraising Committees were formed

• An invitational meeting was held at the United Methodist Church in Severna Park with 44 women in attendance. With enough interest shown, the committee agreed to request Guild status from National Assistance League. Three organizational meetings were required before the request for Guild status could be granted.

• The Steering Committee of ten, chaired by Dee Campbell, met to plan an invitational event.

• Members of the Extension Committee presented information about Assistance League at an organizational meeting attended by 20 women. The possibility of starting a Chapter of Assistance League was discussed, and a Steering Committee was organized for planning purposes.

• Jo Fontana, chair of the National Assistance League^® Extension Committee, contacted Dee Campbell to discuss the possibility of starting an Assistance League chapter in Maryland. Dee had moved to Maryland from California where she was an active member of Assistance League Capistrano Valley. The President of that chapter, Kathy Ganz, recommended Dee to the Extension Committee.
• At the same time, Susan Baker, former president of the San Fernando Valley chapter, also moved to Maryland. A former member of several National Assistance League committees, she discussed the possibility of establishing a chapter in Maryland with her National Assistance League contacts.

• September 19, 2002: Cathy Vitali, AA County councilwoman presented our guild with a County Citation.
• March 30, 2006: Maryland House of Delegates — Offers its sincerest congratulations to AL of the Chesapeake in recognition of receiving chapter status after five years as a guild.
• March 30, 2006: The State of Maryland — Governor’s Citation.
• March 20, 2006: Official Citation from the State Senate — congratulations are offered to ALC in recognition of reaching chapter status.
• October 2008: Assistance League of the Chesapeake received honorable mention from the Mentoring Group.
• November 2008: Assistance League of the Chesapeake was inducted into the Volunteer Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Volunteer Center of AA County and the Coordinators of Volunteers of AA County. AL member Maureen Smith and Georgetown East Elementary School Principal Michele Batten accepted the award.
• June 2008: Assistance League of the Chesapeake received an award from the AA School System: Annapolis and Southern Region Award for Exemplary Volunteer Program
• April 2011: The Maryland General Assembly Citation in recognition of the chapter’s fifth anniversary and dedication to Operation School Bell and its programs.
• April 2011: Governor of Maryland’s Citation for the fifth anniversary and the chapter’s positive and lasting difference in the lives of children and citizens of Anne Arundel County.
• October 2013: The Community Outreach Award given by Anne Arundel County Public Schools in recognition of an organization which “has improved the quality of life for the students of Anne Arundel County Public Schools.” The award was presented by Teresa Tudor, senior manager of school and family partnerships at the annual Comcast Business Hall of Fame awards dinner in conjunction with the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce.
• 2016: Georgetown East Elementary School recognized our chapter’s contributions with an award. The award is inscribed, “Making the Difference. Awarded to Assistance League of the Chesapeake for tor their many contributions over the years to our school community, both large and small.”
• 2016: Members of our chapter gathered with County Executive Steve Schuh and Judge Cathy Vitale to honor and celebrate the organization’s 10th year as a chapter.
• 2016: We received citations from Governor Hogan, County Executive Steve Schuh, the MD House, the Senate and General Assembly.
• 2017: Baltimore Washington Hospital Center has honored Assistance League of the Chesapeake’s 10 years of support of their Stork’s Nest program by installing a plaque on the donor wall in their lobby.