News

On Saturday, October 19, Assistance League of St. Louis (ALSTL) members were out in force—and in costumes—at the 23rd annual Gumbo Flats Pumpkin Run. For the 4th consecutive year, a portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the five community programs of ALSTL.

Members and their families walked and ran, and costumed Books from Friends volunteers generated excitement as they brought storybook characters to life. Kids always love seeing Waldo, Minnie, Clifford, Inky the Octopus, a giant slice of pizza, dinosaurs, and others, but this year, even the adults asked to pose for pictures with their favorites.

Jayne Foley, ALSTL Public Relations Chair said, “It turned out to be a beautiful day for the run, but we especially appreciate our members who braved the darkness and chill in the early morning hours to set up the ALSTL booth for this event.”

ALSTL President Sandy Thal added, “We are grateful to the Chesterfield Regional Chamber of Commerce for once again selecting us as a beneficiary of the event. The proceeds will support our work in enhancing student success and helping women and families in crisis. We love being part of the Pumpkin Run, which is always a highlight on our fall calendars!”

View the article in the September 18 edition of Town & style, page 7.

Pictured on the cover: Clockwise from top left Kentaya Walker, Gala Chair Jamie Kay Cook, Connie Harvey, St. Louis Community College Foundation Executive Associate Mary Ries, and Assistance League President Sandy Thal

Congratulations, Sandy, on being elected president of Assistance League of St. Louis.

How long have you been a member, and what are some of your past areas of service?

I joined Assistance League in Spring 2017. Prior to that, during my 16 years in the corporate world, my work was in operations, so I guess it was natural that I gravitated toward this area of service. I also earned a master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Development at Maryville University in 2014, so that, too, influenced my choices. My first role in Assistance League was as Archives Chair. After that I served as V.P. Membership, followed by Website Chair and Assistance League University (ALU) Chair. Next came V.P. Education, V.P. Marketing and Graphic Design Chair. Finally, during 2023-24, I was President-Elect, which gave me an opportunity to learn about all aspects of the organization before taking on the President role this year.

Serving as president is a big job. What is it about ALSTL that motivated you to make such a commitment?

Three things quickly come to mind. First, of course, is our mission. I love being part of an organization that makes such a tremendous difference in the lives of so many children and adults each year. Whether it’s literacy, scholarships, support of shelters, providing one-time assistance to individuals and families in crisis, or meeting basic needs of school children with clothing and shoes, we are transforming lives!

Second, I continue to be impressed with the professionalism of our organization. Because we are volunteer-driven, our committee chairs may change from year to year. We know how important it is to be a reliable partner in the community, and we put systems in place to help ensure seamless transitions and continuity.

The third thing that inspires me is the people. There’s a saying in volunteer circles that while most people initially volunteer because they want to do good and make a difference in our world, it is often the relationships they develop with others that keep them involved. When I first joined Assistance League, I saw only a few familiar faces. Working alongside other members, I got to know, value and respect my fellow volunteers, and now some have become very good friends. It’s exciting to play a role in enabling so many talented women and men to share their passion for doing good.

What’s on your priority list, Sandy?

Continuing to build bridges into the community and strengthening our partnerships is at the top of the list. For example, we’ve partnered with the National Council of Jewish Women for several years to provide clothing for students in elementary schools that we both serve. Depending on the school, NCJW might furnish the coats and we provide the school uniforms. When we were advised by our contact at the Dana Brown Charitable Trust to highlight our collaboration with other nonprofits, we worked with NCJW to apply for a grant together. Because of that grant request, we gained greater support from Dana Brown. It is our goal to continue to engage with other nonprofits to ensure our investment in the community can be even more far reaching. We’ve done that with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis and hope to continue that practice.

Another priority is finalizing a 3-5 year strategic plan that sets clear goals and objectives to guide us into the future. The plan is based on our own research, with guidance from the consulting firm IllumiLab. Sarah Buek from IllumiLab facilitated a number of sessions for our board, chairs and members, exploring the importance of making our work as impactful as possible by being more intentional about who, where and how we serve. This approach combines critical transformational programs that empower those we serve to become more self-sufficient in the long run with transactional programs that focus on addressing more immediate needs.

Expanding our membership base is a third goal. When our organization began in 1987, all of our members were women, and only a few had careers outside the home. As we grew, we attracted many retirees from teaching, nursing and other fields of service. More recently, both men and women still in the workforce have discovered that our flexible membership requirements allow them to get involved. One new member took on the role of chair of our fall fundraiser, Casino Royale. Another is using her skills in graphic design to help build our brand. One man, a PR/marketing retiree, and another, who is just starting his professional career in photography, are bringing their talents and experience to help tell our story. As our organization continues to evolve, we want to make sure people of all ages and backgrounds know of the opportunities we offer. We value the wisdom, experience and ongoing commitment of our veteran members as we welcome the enthusiasm and new ideas of incoming members.

-------------
Thanks, Sandy, for taking a few minutes to share your vision. It’s clear that with you at the helm, this will be another very busy year for Assistance League of St, Louis!

Pete the Cat, Minnie Mouse, Barbie and an array of storybook characters, all costumed volunteers from Assistance League of St. Louis, greeted families at the Urban League Back to School Expo on July 20. After the grand opening, the Books from Friends volunteers hosted a booth at the event.  Aspiring young readers who visited the booth received age-appropriate books to take home, with 6,500 books being distributed during the Expo.  Visitors also had a chance to meet local guest author Micheal Anderson, whose Zoey Lyndon series is a favorite with middle grade students. Ms. Anderson donated 350 autographed copies of Zoey books and personalized them for the children.

Sue Long, co-chair of Books from Friends said, “Research shows that having access to books at an early age is key to learning to read. That’s why putting books in the hands of young children is an essential component of our program.  Last year as our volunteers visited and read with children at Head Start programs, schools and other early childhood settings, we distributed nearly 19,000 books.” Sue’s co-chair Mindy Hellmich added, “We like to say, ‘We’re building home libraries - one reader at a time!’”

Urban League CEO and President Michael McMillan stopped by the Assistance League booth before the Expo grand opening to thank Books from Friends volunteers for consistently showing up to support St. Louis children and families in literacy. Assistance League of St. Louis President Sandy Thal explained, “Partnerships with other nonprofits help ensure that our investment in the community can be even more far reaching. We value our relationship with the Urban League and work hard to be a trusted community partner.”

At a recent West County Chamber of Commerce meeting, members packed tool kits with items donated by Thrivent Financial Advisor and Chamber member Doug Vernon. The kits will be used when volunteers of the nonprofit Assistance League of St. Louis (ALSTL) assist individuals and families recovering from a crisis as they move into new living space.

 Diana Huey, 2023-24 ALSTL Outreach program co-chair explained, “Sometimes families have lost everything in a fire or flood, while other individuals are homeless or in transitional housing because of another crisis.  When they are able to move into a space of their own, they need even the most basic items.   That’s why, in addition to providing larger items like beds and bedding, we also provide cleaning supplies, paper products and simple tools routinely found in most households, so that families are equipped to assemble, repair or maintain items in their homes.”

After the packing session, 96 tool kits containing a pack of four screwdrivers, a tape measure, a roll of duct tape and a message of encouragement were delivered to the Assistance League office in Ellisville.

Assistance League of St. Louis president Sandy Thal added, “We are grateful to Thrivent and West County Chamber members for their generous gifts of tools and time to support our efforts to positively impact the lives of children and adults in the St. Louis Community.”

Assistance League of St. Louis (ALSTL) has elected Sandy Thal as its president for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Thal, a Town and Country resident and a native of St. Louis, earned a Master’s Degree from Maryville University in 2014 and has served on the ALSTL board of directors and in other leadership roles since 2017.

Thal said, “I am honored to serve this 500-strong, all-volunteer nonprofit organization that has transformed the lives of children and adults in the St. Louis Region since 1987! In the months ahead, we’re looking forward to strengthening our community partnerships, finalizing and implementing a new five-year strategic plan, and expanding our volunteer membership base. Assistance League of St. Louis is going to have another busy year!”

 
Pictured left to right - Mindy Hellmich, ALSTL Vice President Membership; Jane Marschner, ALSTL Vice President Education ; and Beth Smith, store manager of Barnes and Noble West County

ALSTL recently honored Beth Smith, store manager of Barnes and Noble West County, with the chapter's St Louis Business Award. Beth has gone above and beyond her duties as store manager when it comes to Assistance League. She is always there for us. She has chosen ALSTL as the non-profit for the store's annual Book Fair. Beth makes sure all employees help us out that day and even opens the store an hour early for our members only.

We are also the chosen non-profit for the store's Book Drive. In the past three years Barnes and Noble West County has collected around 3,000 books for us...not just any books...but the ones we use with our Book Festivals. We give her a list! We can always count on Beth to get our books to us quickly and to provide specialized guidance to curate book lists for our Book Festivals, Urban League's Back-to-School EXPO, Grief Support, and our partner agencies (like Nurses for Newborns).

At any given time, she could be working with 10 or more of us in the Books From Friends program. There's so much more but...Beth is ALL IN WITH ASSISTANCE LEAGUE. She once said "Assistance League--you are my heros; not just Books From Friends but everything you do for our St. Louis community." ALSTL feels that she is our hero.

Beth is a South East Missouri State graduate in history. She has a 16 year old daughter, named Cora and loves to cross stitch and crochet. She has worked for B &N for 30 years, and enjoys reading history and Science Fiction Fantasty books!

At its May 15 U Are Special event, the School District of University City recognized Assistance League of St. Louis (ALSTL) as a district PACEsetter. This recognition spotlights volunteers who are Positively Affecting Community Education. ALSTL Public Relations Chair Jayne Foley and Outreach Co-chair Diana Huey, who work closely with the district, were recognized at the celebration.

Pictured left to right: Jayne Foley, ALSTL public relations chair; Diana Huey, ALSTL Outreach co-chair; Denise McKibben, President of ALSTL; Sandy Thal, Vice President of ALSTL; and Gary Spiller, Executive Director of Student Services and Innovation for the University City School District.

ALSTL has partnered with U City Schools since 2017, impacting students and families in so many ways. In a recent letter, Gary Spiller, U City Schools Director of Student Services, enumerated some of these contributions, especially noting new clothing and shoes shared with the U City boutique, where some of the most vulnerable students have the opportunity to select their own brand new, much-needed items. He summed up the impact this way: “Because of you, our students feel a greater sense of confidence and have proven to be more productive when they have access to new clothing. Simply put, when you look good, you feel good, and in general, you do good.”

ALSTL’s gifts of Zenimals are especially appreciated by Well-being Specialists and school social workers These guided meditation devices, tailored for specific age groups, are designed to reduce anxiety and calm students, from the very youngest through the teenage years. Gary Spiller explained, “The guided meditation support has aided our children in reducing anxiety, increasing mindfulness, and developing new coping strategies. These practices and social emotional skill sets are necessary to develop for life. Thank you for adding another wellness tool to our…toolkit!”

ALSTL President Denise McKibben said, “Our partnership with the University City Schools has grown over the past seven years and is an example of how ALSTL is focusing a variety of services in one community to deepen our impact. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to positively affect students and families in this community.”

On Saturday, May 18, in a unique collaboration designed to foster creativity and learning, Assistance League of St. Louis, along with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis and the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club, presented the Book Bash.

Welcoming 50 club members and their parents to the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club, the Book Bash featured a pair of celebrated local authors: Micheal Anderson (pictured at left), creator of the award-winning Zoey Landon STEM series, and Thomas E. Dear, III (pictured at right), children’s author and founder of Dream Big Publishing.

Event highlights included:

• An author panel that delved into the authors’ motivations and journeys to success
• A hands-on experience to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and math
• Book signings that provided opportunities for young readers to interact with the authors and receive personal autographs.
• A nutritious lunch provided by EY (Ernst & Young) paired with educational talks

Each child left with a Bag of New Books and an Author Starter Kit, encouraging their ongoing exploration in literature and science.

Denise McKibben, President of Assistance League of St Louis, said, “This Book Bash was designed not only to entertain, but to educate. Through our collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis and the support from EY, we are helping to light up the imaginations of tomorrow’s innovators and leaders. Together, we are building a community that values learning and creativity.”

A generous donation of Vans shoes and clothing to Assistance League of St. Louis will benefit students in the University City School District and in the Ferguson-Florissant School District Students in Transition program.

Assistance League of St. Louis president Denise McKibben said, “Our volunteers work with these two school districts to provide school uniforms, shoes, coats and hygiene products to students through Operation School Bell and STEPS to Success. Counselors and social workers in these districts also identify families in crisis whose immediate needs can be met through our Outreach program. We are grateful to Vans for this donation, valued at more than $39,000, which enabled us to provide an extra measure of support to these school district partners.”

In a recent letter, Gary Spiller, Executive Director of Student Services and Innovation for the University City School District, described the impact Assistance League programs have: “Our students and families in need gain much joy and well-being by being able to select brand new clothing items. Because of you, our students feel a greater sense of confidence and have proven to be more productive when they have access to new clothing. Simply put, when you look good, you feel good, and in general, you do good! The Vans clothing donations are a big hit…. Thank you AL and Vans!”