 On Wednesday, November 28, Assistance League® of Indianapolis will host “Come Jingle and Mingle,” our annual Holiday Luncheon and Style Show. This fundraising event has become a holiday tradition for many ladies in the greater Indianapolis area. Members, friends, mothers and daughters look forward to this festive celebration that starts the holiday season.
As in past years, the Holiday Luncheon and Style Show will be held at the Ritz Charles in Carmel. This year the room will be decorated will some surprises that are sure to warm the hearts of all 550 attendees. There will also be the chance to do a bit of holiday shopping. The day begins with a silent auction filled with many unique items. Clothing and accessories will be available for purchase from The Secret Ingredient. Zionsville Olive Tap will be offering their specialty oils and vinegars and 4 Kids Books & Toys, also of Zionsville, will be on hand to offer a selection of items. Rounding out the field of vendors is Bath Junkie Carmel with their fun soaps, lotions, and bath accessories for all ages. Attendees can enjoy themselves even more with the knowledge that proceeds from the Holiday Luncheon and Style Show benefit children and adults that Assistance League’s® programs serve. To learn more about these philanthropic programs visit https://www.alindy.org/programs.html This annual event sells out each year. Visit https://www.alindy.org/holiday-luncheon.html in order to make sure you secure tickets before they are gone!  On Friday, July 13, 2018, from 12:30 to 1:30 and 1:30 to 2:30 at St. Francis-In-The-Fields Episcopal Church, 1525 Mulberry Street, Zionsville, the Zionsville Boys and Girls Club will be aiding Assistance League® of Indianapolis by giving a helping hand to the ALI Bears program.
ALI Bears is a program of Assistance League of Indianapolis. Loveable and huggable teddy bears are given to hospitals, hospice centers and abuse management agencies. In turn, they give them to children and adults that are struggling with emotional or physical issues. 21,965 bears have been distributed since the program began. Children attending the Boys and Girls Club of Zionsville Caring Hands Camp, with a theme of Kids for Kids, will be dressing the bears and packing them for delivery to the various agencies requesting them. This joint project will teach the kids the value of community service and inspire them to make a difference in their community. On Thursday, December 7, 2017, Assistance League® of Indianapolis made the future brighter for the children and adults served by its philanthropic programs. The hard work and planning of Creating a Brighter Tomorrow, the Holiday Luncheon and Style Show Committee, headed by chairmen Kathy Kinzel and Cynthia Potterack along with vice chairman Kathy Kerr Wylam, was evident as members and their guests enjoyed the beautiful seasonal décor, silent auction, shopping opportunities, and style shows.  In the photo above from left to right are event Co-chairmen Cynthia Potterack, Kathy Kinzel and Vice Chairman Kathy Kerr Wylam. Vice President of Resource Development Annette Suggs supported and worked with the committee during the planning of the event.  Over 530 people attended this annual event which was held at the Ritz Charles in Carmel. It has become a traditional way for many in the Indianapolis community to kick off their holiday season. Public Relations Coordinator Peggy Powell and Social Media Coordinator Julie Yates promoted the luncheon; however, many participants love to return year after year.  The theme of the event, “Creating a Brighter Tomorrow” was set into place by the colorful graphics on the invitations designed by Kathy Detzler. The colorful motif continued with the dazzling décor by the decorating committee led by Lynne Hurlbut and Margie Graham. Even the name tags distributed by the Reservations Committee of Andrea Arbore and Kathy Lengerich sparkled with color.  The event opened with the commencement of bidding on the plentiful items available in the silent auction. Coordinators of the Auction Committee, Leslie Morgan and Carol Valentine and their workers artfully arranged each item which led to some spirited competition. Susie Main and Judy Tomke along with their Auction Tally crew, skillfully determined the winners.  Attendees had the chance to shop for clothes, accessories and jewelry from The Secret Ingredient, Inc. an Indianapolis boutique. The Secret Ingredient donated ten percent of the sales made at the event back to Assistance League and also sponsored the style show which attendees enjoyed after lunch. Sandy Spear, as Style Show Coordinator, recruited Assistance League members to model the fashions.  Matilda Jane children’s clothing was also available for purchase and all were charmed by the adorable Kid’s Style Show that was viewed during lunch. Sales representative Brooke Fitzsimmons donated ten percent of the days sales to Assistance League. Cheri Gerdt, coordinated this popular portion of the event.  Jane Edington decorated a “Gift Card Tree” embellished with lovely ornaments and $500 worth of gift cards. The gift cards were donated by Chris and Emily Cunningham of Service Plus Heating, Cooling and Plumbing and tickets were sold to raffle it off.  Adding to the fun of the day was the 50/50 Raffle manned by Susan Kwiatkowski.  As lunch was beginning many longtime supporters of Assistance League of Indianapolis were introduced. In the photo, row one left to right are: Erin Trisler, The Clowes Fund; Judi Jones (Dennis), Shaw-Burkhardt-Brenner Foundation; Mary Katherine Schnitz, MCR Charitable Foundation, Inc.; Margaret Cole Russell, MCR Charitable Foundation, Inc.; Jennifer Pittman, OneAmerica; and Dr. David Hillman, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. In row two left to right are; Dorothea Genetos, Shaw-Burkhardt-Brenner Foundation; Kathy Jenkins (Thomas), Shaw-Burkhardt-Brenner Foundation; Susie Moore, GiveMoore Foundation; Lee Ann Hoy. Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; Estherre Wohlenhause, The Clowes Fund; and Beverly Casselman, The Clowes Fund.
Lee Ann Hoy and Dr. David Hillman presented Assistance League President Rosemary Crowley and Chairman of Grants Nancy Moran with a $20,000 check from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Assistance League of Indianapolis is grateful for the support of the businesses, organizations and individuals such as the luncheon attendees whose generous gifts allow our mission of caring and commitment to the Indianapolis Community. Donations and grants benefit our philanthropic programs: Operation School Bell® which supplies new school clothing, hygiene supplies, books, and new athletic shoes; ALI Friends which brighten the lives of disabled or older adults at care centers; Assault Survivor Kits® which provides new clothing for victims of assault; and ALI Bears which gives teddy bears to grieving or ill children or adults. Be a part of Giving Tuesday! Help Create a Brighter Tomorrow for a child or adult in need any day this week! Just click the DONATE button below or text ALINDY to 77948
Giving Tuesday inspires personal philanthropy and encourages bigger, better and smarter charitable giving during the holiday season. This global event was first introduced in 2012 with tremendous success, and we are proud to be a participant in 2017. Support the programs of Assistance League of Indianapolis Operation School Bell® Assault Survivor Kits® ALI Friends ALI Bears  On Monday, October 16, 2017 the Operation School Program® clothed its 57,000th child! Shown in the photo above is A’Rayah Pastures, a 3rd grade student at Forest Glen Elementary School in Lawrence Township. A’Rayah’s personal shopper was Deb Myers, Operation School Bell-Apparel Chair.
Since 1984, Assistance League® of Indianapolis, through its Operation School Bell®-Apparel Program, has been CREATING A BRIGHTER TOMORROW for many children in Indianapolis. Our goal for 2017 is to clothe 3,375 disadvantaged students. Children are referred by school personnel from Indianapolis Public Schools and The Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence, Pike, Warren and Washington Townships. Students are bussed to our shop, located in the IPS Forest Manor Professional Development Center, where they are treated to a unique shopping experience. The children are excited to receive special treatment from their own personal shopper, an Assistance League member, who will guide them in choosing their new school items. Each child receives a new warm winter coat, hat and gloves, socks, undergarments, and a belt. They also receive 2 pair of pants, or a jumper or skort, 3 collared shirts, hygiene items, a book and a duffel bag to hold all of their new items. In addition to Operation School Bell – Apparel, Operation School Bell – Shoes began in 2000-01, providing new athletic shoes for 1,108 IPS school children. This program continues to grow and now includes children from IPS and the Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence, Pike, Warren, Washington, and Wayne Townships. The program’s goal is to reach 2,850 students this year. Operation School Bell® Beyond the Bell was made a permanent program of Assistance League® of Indianapolis in 2014. This program provides a supply of new clothing to IPS schools served by Operation School Bell – Apparel. Student recipients of Beyond the Bell items are homeless, displaced or new to their school and are not otherwise served by Operation School Bell. The 2017 – 2018 goal for the 3 Operation School Bell® programs will be to serve 4,800 students. Operation School Bell® helps children arrive in the classroom better prepared to learn. Studies show that children who come to school appropriately dressed show improvement in classroom performance, attendance and self-esteem. The poverty level of elementary aged children has grown significantly as measured by the number of children qualifying for the free/reduced lunch program. In the five school districts served by Operation School Bell, a staggering 43,451 students now qualify for free lunch. Assistance League® of Indianapolis, with the support of their 200+ volunteer members strive to provide comfort to children and adults in the greater Indianapolis area. To learn more about our programs, please visit our Programs Page. Recently, three members of Assistance League of Indianapolis have helped spread the word about the great things the organization is doing for our community. On March 15, Ellen Bernstein and Carol Valentine spoke to the Sertoma Club of Broad Ripple. Valentine stated, "We appreciate that they are a long time supporter, and that without the generosity of donors such as Sertoma of Broad Ripple, we would not be able to help so many deserving families." Below is a section of their newsletter which summarizes what they learned from Bernstein and Valentine's visit.  Member Susan Tracy received the Helping Hands Award from the Ranj Puthran Agency in Carmel. Published in the March 2017 Carmel Monthly Magazine, the notification raises readers' awareness about the wonderful things Assistance League does.   As the new year moves forward, Assistance League of Indianapolis continues to be grateful for businesses in the central Indiana area that support our mission of commitment and caring. As 2016 was drawing to a close, Homewood Suites in Plainfield donated a very special gift to the the organization’s largest program Operation School Bell. Ninety-nine pairs of brand new warm and cozy gloves were collected by the hotel management with the goal to disperse them to a worthy charity that benefits children. General Manager Linda Adams along with other employees decided on the holiday project as a way to reach out to those less fortunate. They asked guests to join in hanging gloves on the Christmas Tree in the lobby and also accepted monetary donations. After reviewing different charities listed in the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Giving Guide, Assistance League was chosen as the recipient of the gloves. Elly Johnson, Operation School Bell Chairman, traveled to Plainfield to pick the gloves up. Assistance League is thankful for the kind support of places such as the Homewood Suites. The gloves will be put to good use as they warm the hands of the students we serve. 
 Assistance League® of Indianapolis was honored to be the designated charity to receive the funds raised from the Annual Hunt Construction Group, An AECOM Company, Charity Golf Outing held on September 8, 2016 at Eagle Creek Golf Club. A short downpour in the afternoon could not dampen the spirits of the golfers and volunteers. Nearly two-hundred golfers enjoyed playing on the beautiful course, but golf was not the only opportunity for participants to have fun. The event committee made sure there were plenty of amusements and games to entertain everyone throughout the day. Nate Wooten, Pam McNealy, Amber Pirtle, Paul Wojciechowski, Lena Kolesnikova, and Breta Koester of Hunt gave help and support throughout the many weeks of planning that made the event such a success.  The Honorable Mayor Joe Hogsett opened the festivities by speaking to the golfers and volunteers. He praised Assistance League and Hunt Construction Group for their support of our community, and helped present a very big check. Ken Johnson, Executive Vice President, Division Manager from Hunt, presented Assistance League with a check for $26,821. The total amount raised from the golf event was approximately, $30,500. Adele Carr, President, accepted the check and thanked Hunt for their generous support and recognized all the golfers for coming out to participate.  Golfers started the day with bagels donated from College Park Einstein Bagels and coffee donated from Hubbard and Cravens. Thanks to Granite City, who for the third year, offered golfers a refreshing libation on the Sycamore course and to Sun King Brewery who donated beer for the beverage carts and treated golfers to a tasting of Sun King products on the Pines course. Darin Pinnick and Matt Houser from Woodland Country Club were available to hit drives for the golfing groups. Earth & Turf LLC generously supplied a live Prince Albert fir which was made into a gift card tree containing 18 local businesses’ gift cards with a combined value of $680. Raffle tickets for the gift card tree as well as the over 100 Birdie Raffle and five Eagle Raffle prizes were available from the start of the day. A 50/50 raffle was held and raised $1,010. Plenty of friendly competition contributed to the high spirits of the golfers as they took part in the varied activities throughout the day. The Marshmallow Mash tested swing skills as participants hit a jumbo marshmallow to see who could drive it the furthest. King Putt required golfers to make four putts from varied distances in 30 seconds. Shouts of glee were heard from Tipsy Toss contestants as they attempted to lob rings over their favorite bottles of liquor kindly donated by Southern Wine and Spirits. The lucky winner generously donated his winnings back to Assistance League. Subway of Indiana charitably donated 275 box lunches for golfers and volunteers. 
Golfers who partook in the raffles were enticed by fabulous prizes. The total value of the Birdie Raffle prizes more than $9,570 and included: a “Chef’s Tasting for Two” at The Oceanaire Seafood Room valued at $250; Bar Reception at Seasons 52 valued at $300; golf for 4 at the icon Brickyard Crossing valued at $400; plus much more! The total value of the Eagle Raffle prizes was $3,700 and included: a two night stay, with breakfast and dinner at the JW Marriott valued at $700; a foursome at Wolf Run Golf Club valued at $600; a one night stay for two at French Lick Springs Hotel, one round of golf for two at Donald Ross Course, and breakfast for two at the Colonnade Restaurant, and a $100 Speedway Gas card valued at $600; four suite tickets to the Indianapolis Colts game against Titans values at $1,200; and four tickets in the Penthouse Paddock for the 2017 Indianapolis 500 with a $75 Kroger gift card valued at $590. At the awards ceremony and after party the fun continued. The Tipsy Toss continued to test the skills of golfers as the PGA BMW Championship was streaming live for all to enjoy. Golf team standings were announced and prizes were awarded. Assistance League was proud to have a team participate this year, the team consisted of Rose Conrad, Laura Sanfrey, Carol Valentine and Sarah Copeland. The funds raised from this wonderful event will benefit Assistance League’s largest program, Operation School Bell®, .as well as its other philanthropic programs: ALI Bears, ALI Friends, and Assault Survivor Kits®. The day would not be possible without the support of Eagle Creek Golf Club General Manager Matt Parrott and his staff who worked diligently with the Assistance League’s committee of: Kathy Kerr Wylam, Chairman; Carol Gambrel, Assistant Chairman; Annette Suggs, Vice President Resource Development; Barbara Hammer, Breakfast Specialists; Judy Powell and Lynne Hurlbut, Volunteers; Laura Ellis, Vicki Drake, and Susie Main, Golf Games; Nancy Bennett and Rhianna Fox, Special Tables; Barb Diehl, Kathy Detzler, Cindee Potterack, Raffle Items; Jane Edington, 50/50 Raffle; Eve Sweeney, Gift Card Tree; Andrea Arbore, PayPal and Meri Webber, Public Relations. Assistance League of Indianapolis has been selected as an Indiana Philanthropy Awards winner of the 2016 Outstanding Civic Organization. The Indiana Philanthropy Awards are presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Indiana Chapter and recognize outstanding philanthropic efforts from around the state by selected individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. To learn more about this award program please visit www.afpindiana.afpnet.org
“This is a wonderful honor for Assistance League of Indianapolis and highlights the dedication of our volunteers to making a difference in our community. Our hope is that this recognition will raise the awareness of the public toward our philanthropic programs and fundraising events to help bring about an even greater impact.” The Association of Fundraising Professionals – Indiana Chapter will host a dinner and awards presentation on November 17, 2016 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. The event is sponsored by Blackbaud. For additional information please contact Sara Nash at the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Indiana Chapter. Assistance League of Indianapolis is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization committed to serving the needs of children and adults through ongoing philanthropic programs developed and managed by its members. Their successful philanthropic programs include Operation School Bell®, ALI Bears, ALI Friends and Assault Survivor Kits®. To learn more about Assistance League of Indianapolis or to become involved with this organization please visit www.ALindy.org The Association of Fundraising Professionals, which started in 1960, has been working to advance ethical and effective fundraising and support charities around the world that provide critical services to their communities. The Indiana Chapter started in 1978 and serves as a guide for best practices, mentorships and professional development. For additional information please contact Assistance League of Indianapolis, at 317.872.1010 or at www.ALindy.org or Sara Nash, Chapter Administrator for the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Indiana Chapter at 317-824-0940 or afpic@nashams.com |
