Fifteen fifth graders from Bethune traveled to Washington DC to perform at the 2024 Turnaround Arts Student Showcase held on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The Turnaround Arts Showcase which included elementary and middle school students from around the country.  The Bethune performance included an original song they wrote […]

    Assistance League was recently featured in the Charities Review Council newsletter. To learn more, please click on the following link: https://smartgivers.org/nonprofit-spotlight-assistance-league-of-minneapolis-st-paul/      

Called out as “one of the best Thrift Shops in the Twin Cities,” our Assistance League Thrift Shop was highlighted by Jennifer Mayerle on the WCCO Saturday Morning show Saturday, September 30th. Thrift Shop Manager and Assistance League volunteer, Ann Derby, was interviewed by Jennifer in the Assistance League Thrift Shop. They discussed what one […]

Fashionable hats, baskets brimming with goodies, silent auction thrills and a terrific style show featuring our volunteer models attired in outfits from the Assistance League Thrift Shop – all this fun was had on April 22 at the Minneapolis Women’s Rotary Style Show and Benefit Luncheon! The Minneapolis Women’s Rotary awarded a two-year grant to […]

While legislators debate requiring menstrual products for schools in Minnesota (HF44/SF50), the South Saint Paul High School’s Women’s Society has already accomplished this goal for their school. At the April 24th South Saint Paul School Board meeting, school board members recognized the Women’s Society for their student led effort and, also, thanked the Assistance League […]

We’re thrilled to welcome Joyce Norals as a new member to our Advisory Council. Joyce Norals is a native of Chicago – the city of her heart – Joyce received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University and a Master of Arts in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the Carlson School of Management […]

We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Leslie Hitchens as a new member to our Advisory Council. Dr. Leslie Hitchens is a Native of New Orleans. She attended the Xavier University of Louisiana, where she received her Bachelor’s in Special Education, Early Childhood, and Elementary Education. She moved to the Twin Cities and attended the University of […]

You often hear stories about teachers who are so dedicated to their students that they will spend their own money to purchase classroom items or an experience that their school simply can’t afford. That’s one of the reasons why Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul started a Teacher Grant Program several years ago. The money that’s […]

Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul and its 25th Anniversary were highlighted by WCCO-TV’s Saturday Morning program on Saturday, May 21.   Chapter president, Laurie Lokar, was interviewed by Jennifer Mayerle, WCCO-TV Reporter/Anchor. They talked about who Assistance League is, what the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter does, and its 25th Anniversary. Here is the link to the morning show […]

In order to learn, students need to be in class. But there are many barriers to getting to class and getting there on time. A Richfield Middle School social worker reached out to Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul to see if we could be part of a solution to address tardiness. The social worker explained […]

Love to shop online? Love to Thrift? Love to help your local community? Now you can do all three at the same time. Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul is excited to announce 24/7 shopping at their new online thrift shop on eBay.    For over twenty years, dedicated customers have been supporting our Assistance League Thrift […]

Project REACH, a program of the St Paul Public Schools, provides services for all students and their families experiencing homelessness, as well as those students who have been placed in foster care.  Over 700 students are enrolled in this program to date. Assistance League® of Minneapolis/St. Paul became aware of the need for winter coats […]

More than 900 school children have new clothing for school thanks to the Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul’s Operation School Bell® clothing program. This fall students at Maxfield, Riverview and Sheridan Elementary schools received full uniform kits which included three shirts, three pants or leggings, and a sweatshirt. The leggings were new this year in […]

“When I know better, I do better.” This was just one of the inspirational thoughts Christina Haddad Gonzalez shared with us during her presentation at our March 16th Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter meeting. Christina, who is Richfield Public Schools Director of Student Support Services and a Community Faculty Member at the University of Minnesota, […]

Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul is excited to welcome Roma Anderson Milton to its Advisory Council. As a member of Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul’s Advisory Council, Roma joins an impressive and diverse group of individuals who are in place to guide and advise our Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter.   Roma Anderson Milton brings with her over […]

Fifty-four second graders at Bethune Elementary School in Minneapolis just received a surprise bag packed with books, word games, crayons and stickers. This was made possible by Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul who, along with 120 chapters nationally, is taking part in Action Week to celebrate their founder’s birthday and their mission of transforming the lives […]

Over 50 Richfield Public School students were hosted for a clothing shopping event in November by Assistance League ® Minneapolis/St. Paul. The event took place at the Target store in Richfield for the second year in a row. Assistance League volunteers were on hand to greet students and families, answer questions, and assist with check […]

This year is unlike any other in terms of the challenges it presents to schools, students and families. Schools and families are facing new teaching formats, schedules and greater economic stress due to the pandemic. Unplanned needs have arisen as a result. Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul has stepped up to meet some of these needs. […]

During the pandemic there are many needs that arise. Assistance League partners with the Minnesota Hospital Association(MHA) to distribute Assault Survivor Kits® to hospital emergency rooms and clinics throughout Minnesota. Our member-led team works closely with the MHA to maintain inventory levels. On Wednesday, August 26th, Assistance League volunteers delivered 350 Assault Survivor Kits to […]

The Links to Learning teacher grant program of Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul has been awarded $15,000 from Giving WoMN. This grant recognizes the benefit of this unique program which funds teachers directly in the Minneapolis, Richfield, and St. Paul Public Schools. Teachers have many creative ideas to provide their students with exceptional experiences but are often limited by budgets. […]

We are happy to announce that the Thrift Shop will reopen Wednesday, July 15. We are looking forward to seeing you in the shop again! We will be open for business Wednesdays and Saturdays 11am-3pm. We cannot accept donations at this time. You’ll notice some changes made to protect the health and safety of our […]

Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul put out a call that they needed food for their food shelf.  Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul had food they wanted to get into the hands of those in need.  Quickly, Assistance League members packed up over 300 pounds of food and headed to St. Paul to donate […]

Our face mask collection for Minneapolis Public Schools was a great success in May.  Thanks to the hard work and creativity of members, we collected 258 hand sewn, colorful face masks. The masks were handed out to MPS childcare and food distribution staff and to teachers who returned to schools to clean out their rooms. Homemade […]

The Assistance League Links to Learning team got creative to help teachers meet unforeseen needs due to schools being closed for COVID-19. Chair Sandy Warner and her team contacted grant recipients to offer them flexibility in using their unspent funds as long as it was consistent with the mission of the program. The educators were […]

On March 11th an enthusiastic group of Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul Allies and guests packed 200 toiletry kits for homeless students in St. Paul Public Schools. Kits included socks, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, a comb, and other personal hygiene products. When St. Paul Public Schools closed a few days later, the concern became how […]

We are thrilled to announce that Assistance League® Minneapolis/St. Paul has again been named a Charities Review Council Meets Standards® organization! The MN Charities Review Council awards the Meets Standards® seal to designate organizations that are trustworthy and transparent. Nonprofit organizations, such as Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul, earn the Meets Standards seal by voluntarily participating […]

Excitement was in the air when the Dowling School 4th graders took their seats in preparation for a special assembly. Students listened intently to their principal, Dr. Lloyd Winfield, who spoke to them about reading and his favorite book as a student. When the students were asked who would want to have a copy of […]

A successful Assistance League’s clothing distribution program Clothes for Kids was completed recently with 2,213 students receiving 15,491 items of school clothing. Ten days of distribution to 7 schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul required many volunteer hours from both members of Assistance League and their guests. Time, talent, and smiles made this high impact […]

In October we launched a pilot retail program with the Richfield Target and 50 high need Richfield Public School students. Each Assistance League volunteer was paired with a student to shop for clothing items totaling up to $100. The volunteers were available to greet students and their families as well as answer any questions. This […]

May is the month for volunteers from Assistance League to pack kits for assault survivors in Minnesota. In partnership with Minnesota Hospital Association, we provide these kits free of charge to 120 emergency rooms throughout our state. Our very first Assistance League program, Assault Survivor Kits®️, started in 1992; and that first pack laid the […]

Since 1998 Assistance League volunteers have been reading with elementary-aged children at various elementary schools in Minneapolis. The main goal of this program, called Literacy Plus, is to connect with second graders who are typically 1-2 years behind in reading skills. They thrive on the individual attention the volunteers give them as they read aloud […]

As part of Assistance League’s ACTION! Week, an initiative to help tackle the issue of literacy, our local chapter worked with Elizabeth Hall Elementary School in Minneapolis to bring in a local author to talk with the third graders. Lehman Riley, author of the Papa Lemon’s Little Wanderers book series, historical fiction children’s books about his […]

At our Feb 19th chapter meeting, we were pleased to have the Minneapolis Public School District Superintendent Ed Graff. Accompanying him was Michelle Kellogg, Program Manager for the Office of Communications, Engagement & External Relations. Mr. Graff presented his goals for the school district, the challenges the district faces, and the ways Assistance League has […]

Meet Start Smart! It’s one of our newer philanthropic programs. Our presence in Richfield began through the Start Smart program and we are now expanding to meet the needs of students in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Although it’s a relatively new program, we have made a significant impact with a limited number of volunteers. It has […]

In November 90 grants were awarded to teachers in the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Richfield Public Schools who applied through Assistance League’s LINKS to Learning teacher grant program. These grants will benefit 14,792 students at all grade levels in 46 schools!  Thanks to our generous donors to Assistance League, we were able to fund $59,759 in […]