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.
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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!
