Motivating Children to Read

Ready…Set…Read!!! nurtures the motivation to read among preschool and elementary school children. Research confirms that student motivation is a key factor in successful reading. We have a vision of the future where all children love to read and have books of their own to enjoy.

Our volunteers provide one-on-one reading support to preschool children at Growing Minds and elementary students at Juniper School in Escondido. Volunteers meet weekly in students’ classrooms – sitting side by side …… reading and talking together about the books children have selected to read.

Volunteers Making a Difference in the Lives of Teens Experiencing Homelessness or Housing Insecurity

Our chapter has been providing duffel bags to graduating seniors for decades.  Over the past several years, the chapter has partnered primarily with the Escondido Union High School District (EUHSD) to provide backpacks that may help ease graduating seniors experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity within the school district to transition to living on their own. McKinney-Vento students are identified by the district, are provided a bag with more than 40 items, worth about $400. The items include a sleeping bag and pad, blanket and pillow, towels, solar operated battery pack, first aid and tool kits, personal hygiene and other items, as well as gift cards.

Over the years the duffel bag has morphed into the modern and sturdy large travel-sized backpack filled with these useful items. This program, like all of our programs, is primarily funded by money raised by the sale of items in our Thrift & Consignment Shop, and by donations and grants. Volunteers experience a genuine sense of giving back to the community by helping these wonderful and deserving teens.

What Our Volunteers Do:

• Liaise with the district social worker to confirm eligible graduates
• Finalize backpack items
• Shop for and purchase backpack items
• Fill / assemble backpacks
• Present and distribute backpacks

What our partners say about the program

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the support of community organizations like the Assistance League of North Inland County…Our students, particularly those most in need, have benefited tremendously from their programs.” Superintendent Dr. Anne Staffieri

Huggable Bears Making A Difference

Assistance League of Inland North County provides soft cuddly teddy bears to agencies that help children in crisis situations. These adorable bears are a gift from the heart – softening the sting of a traumatic situation and enabling the service provider to reach out when words fail or are not enough. At times this sweet bear has also been known to comfort an adult in need.

Accomplishments

In the last five years, we have delivered over 6,200 bears to local agencies. Assistance League members, as well as members of our Assisteens® program, help order, package and deliver bears to the agencies mentioned below.

Agencies Helping Us Make A Difference

The Pursuit of Higher Education

The Scholarship & Grants program addresses the critical present and future need for skilled nurses, emergency medical technicians and industry and trade technicians by providing grants for students already enrolled in these programs at Palomar College and California State University San Marcos School of Nursing.  Recipients of these scholarships are determined by the respective schools’ nonprofit foundation that administers them.

Scholarships are provided to high school graduates enrolled in college or trade school programs entering college in the fall semester. Through the counseling office of each high school, students must fill out an application that includes school transcripts, a short essay, letters of recommendation and a verified financial background statement.  Applications are collected by the school counselor and evaluated by members of our chapter’s scholarship and grants committee.

How to apply for scholarship assistance:

Students interested in applying for scholarship aid should contact their school’s guidance department.

Community Impact:

•  $542k donated to Palomar College students enrolled in the programs – since 2007
• Over $418,000 to Cal State San Marcos School of Nursing – since 2018
• 474 scholarships granted to local graduating high school seniors accepted into a college/university or trade school – since 2018

Volunteer Opportunities with this Community Service Program:

Opportunity to help young people achieve their dreams of higher education by helping:

• Review scholarship applications
• Select recipients
• Attend Senior Awards assemblies and hand out Letters of Congratulations
• Provide support for students from the North County Area that are seeking a post high school education.

Nothing Goes To Waste

Waste Not Program oversees the distribution of unusable items donated to, or purchased for use by, thrift shop, Operation School Bell or any other Assistance League of Inland North County program to other 501(c)(3) organizations.

Organizations Currently Receiving Donations

• Camp Pendleton, Marine Family Services Miramar and STEP (Support the Enlisted Project) Miramar provide clothing and household supplies to the enlisted struggling to make ends meet due to the higher cost of living in California.
• Gently Hugged provides gently used or new infant clothing in sizes preemie to 12 months for babies in need.  In addition to clothing, board books are included in each bag.
• Esperanza Crisis Center where homeless adults in crisis, many of them veterans, can find a 24-hour crisis residence which provides acute mental healthcare services to those requiring inpatient treatment.  Services include psychiatric evaluation, medication where indicated, individual and group therapy, discharge planning, and psychosocial rehabilitation.
• New Day Urban Ministries provides an area where the homeless and low-income individuals and families can shop for themselves for clothing and other necessities.  There is no charge for the items they select.  Comfort and support is provided while connecting clients to services such as those that can enable them to train for jobs or recover from addiction.  Those with new jobs are provided with transportation vouchers.
• Palomar Medical Center Escondido and Palomar Medical Center Poway Emergency Departments and Social Services provide clothing and shoes to the homeless.
• Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO) is a social outreach program and nonprofit charity that serves the homeless, elderly and working poor.  In addition to clothing, free meals, counseling, dental/hearing clinics and end-of-life programs for the dying and their families are provided.
• Straight from the Heart provides assistance and job training to foster families and adoptive families through profits from their thrift shop.
• The Rise Concept uses profits from their resale shop to support organizations which help at risk youth, victims of human trafficking and veterans.
• One Safe Place –The North County Family Justice Center is a safe place for anyone who has experienced family violence, elder abuse, child abuse, hate crimes, human trafficking, or other crimes.  They provide comprehensive free services in a safe and judgment-free environment that empowers people to move forward with their lives. They have dozens of community partners on site, in collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office.

Project Seniors’

The goal of Project Seniors is to develop and implement projects to benefit seniors and the homeless in the community. In 2022, working in conjunction with Villa Pomerado, the committee purchased and gift wrapped Christmas and Valentine’s gifts for 63 permanent residents of the Villas who were too sick to go home for the holidays. An entertainer, Peter Seltzer, was hired to perform for them. In the spring, Stater Bros. gift cards were given to seniors through Interfaith.

The Knit Wits Group knit baby caps and blankets for newborns at Palomar Hospital which are delivered monthly. The group welcomes new knitters to join them.

Volunteers:

• Shop for, assemble and deliver items for gift bags.
• Knit Wits make caps and blankets for newborns
• Get together to plan projects for seniors and the homeless.

The program provides a flexible, rapid-response strategy by which Assistance League of Inland North County can respond to specific community needs. These needs do not fit within currently existing programs and have to be addressed on a one-time-only basis. The program also allows the Outreach Committee to identify an array of critical issues facing the community for potential development of future stand-alone programs.

2021-2022 Outreach Projects

In 2021-2022, Outreach donated scholarships or supplies to these organizations:

• $15,000 in scholarships to A Step Beyond
• $15,000 in Mobile Van supplies to San Diego Discovery Museum, Escondido location
• $13,930.58 in supplies to Next Step Service Dogs to be used for veteran’s and first responder’s dog teams
• $7,555.75 in culinary equipment to TERI’s San Marcos campus for special needs children and adults

2020-2021 Outreach Projects

In 2020-2021, Outreach supported the following projects:

• $15,000 in Amazon gift cards to Urban Corps of San Diego County
• $16,000 in Knox Boxes to Escondido Fire Department
• $34,000 in Amazon, Walmart, Target and Visa gift cards to Palomar Health Foundation
  – $20,000 to Healthy Development Services
  – $14,000 to Forensic Services

An Assistance League member who chooses to participate in this program might do one or more of the following activities:

• Meet with the Outreach committee to analyze requests
• Contact the organization regarding their application
• Supply answers as to why the project was chosen
• Oversee the donation process