We Love Our Assistance League "Pals!"

One of eight children from an Illinois farm family, this bundle of energy has lived in three states and traveled the world, but at 93, she is still primarily focused on doing good deeds.

A woman with a career until she was 86, Norma Jean Pew (pictured left) is an official Creve Coeur-Olivette Chamber of Commerce Assistance League of St. Louis "pal” working closely with ALSTL’s own Mary Calcaterra (pictured right). Through the Public Relations Committee, Mary is focused on community outreach, attending myriad service club meetings to find partners and donors who will support ALSTL’s nine philanthropic programs.

When Mary joined the Creve Coeur-Olivette Chamber, Norma had been an active member there for seven years. The two are part of a chamber networking group. However, Norma, as a chamber ambassador who helps onboard and mentor new members, also serves as Mary’s ambassador. Norma works the room before each meeting to find likely contributors who need to hear about ALSTL.

Norma also has tapped her own contacts to solicit gifts for ALSTL. In December alone, she secured two large trash bags of new children’s socks and 20 new toys for distribution to deserving children by turning to a firm called OsteoStrong-St. Louis and its owners, Johnny and Laura Harper. Norma knew the Harpers because she goes to OsteoStrong in Creve Coeur to strengthen her bones. The Harpers agreed to reach out to hundreds of their clients for contributions. The result? Hundreds of socks—plus toys for ALSTL.