Assistance League of St. Louis is celebrating a birthday. This year, the local chapter—one of the largest of the 120 chapters nationwide—turns 30, and considering that its 500 all-volunteer members logged 72,000 service hours last year alone, three decades represents a whole lot of good. “We look for particular niches where needs can be filled,” says current president Suzanne Pratl. “Everything we do is carefully considered.”
Indeed, all nine of the nonprofit’s programs speak to sensitivity, and to kindness. Whether it’s Operation Hug, which provides cuddly teddy bears to children and adults in hospitals and shelters; Project ROSE (Raise Our Self Esteem), which assembles gift bags of personal care items for women in emergency shelters; or Steps to Success, which fits and gives footwear to more than 3,300 children at 30 area elementary schools, Assistance League is always thinking about specific, finely tuned ways to help those in need.
Three new projects launched last year are further proof of that. All, Pratl says, serve the needs of children, and all fall under the umbrella of Assistance League’s Beyond the Bell program. Each has a literacy component because, as Pratl stresses, minds need to be nurtured as well as bodies.
“We look for places where we can make a difference,” she says, adding that Assistance League of St. Louis has received the Platinum Award from GuideStar for the past three years, in part due to its 80 percent return to the community. Only 1 percent of GuideStar’s nonprofit members earn this elite status.
In keeping with its focus on literacy, the organization is set to host its second biggest fundraiser, the 13th annual Authors Brunch, April 28 at the Edward Jones atrium. The event will feature two speakers, Amy Dickinson, a longtime nationally syndicated advice columnist who will discuss her newest book, Strangers Tend To Tell Me Things, and Kevin Killeen, author of Never Hug a Nun. Killeen, who is known locally for his years with KMOX Radio, will share his experiences of growing up in Webster Groves and his roles at KMOX.
In addition to the author address and a delicious brunch, there will be a raffle of more than 30 cleverly themed and luxuriously appointed ‘opportunity baskets.’ “Both of these personalities have a funny, lighthearted way of looking at the tough issues in life,” Pratl says. “Laughter is the best medicine; I have no doubt it will be a wonderful occasion for all.”
Assistance League of St. Louis is an all-volunteer organization with members who serve the specific needs of women and children in the area. It is hosting its 13th annual Authors Brunch April 28 at the Edward Jones atrium. Pictured on the cover: Featured authors Amy Dickinson and Kevin Killeen. For more information, call 636.227.6200 or visit alstl.org.
Cover design by Allie Bronsky | Cover photos courtesy of Assistance League of St. Louis
Pictured at top: The Authors Brunch is a well-attended event and one of the nonprofit’s largest fundraisers.
Photo courtesy of Assistance League of St. Louis
