{"id":4890,"date":"2018-12-02T14:57:26","date_gmt":"2018-12-02T19:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.assistanceleague.org\/chesapeake\/?page_id=4890"},"modified":"2024-09-29T14:24:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T18:24:44","slug":"our-stories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.assistanceleague.org\/chesapeake\/our-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs][vc_tta_section title=”Michele” tab_id=”1567211790266-24890de4-832d”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

You Can Be a Part of Assistance League:<\/span><\/h2>\n

Working behind the scenes to help children and families
\n<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n
\n

\"You<\/a>When Michele Kutta tells new friends that she is a mortician, they typically respond with a lot of questions: How did you get into the field? Have you had any unusual requests? How does your profession affect your day-to-day life? Michele responds with her usual openness, conveying the empathy that makes her excel in her field. This also makes her a great volunteer for Assistance League of the Chesapeake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A chance encounter with two Assistance League members while at a community event led Michele to attend her first chapter meeting in 2016. \u201cI thought there might be some volunteer work I could do to contribute to the community,\u201d she says, \u201cand those two members filled me in on all that Assistance League does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michele is the kind of member who enjoys working behind the scenes. While she has helped with our Kids In Need program (where we provide school clothing to in-need children) and our Sing-Alongs for Seniors, her main work has been on the board, serving as Strategic Planning Committee chair and also spearheading our community marketing efforts.<\/p>\n

Michele says, \u201cUntil joining Assistance League of the Chesapeake, I had no idea of the magnitude of poverty in our community and in Anne Arundel County in general.\u201d She is motivated by the fact that, \u201cIn some small way I am assisting so many children and new mothers in need either through Stork\u2019s Nest Baby Shower or Kids In Need.\u201d The Stork’s Nest at Baltimore Washington Medical Center is for in-need, young mothers and Assistance League members donate new baby supplies to this very worthy cause.<\/p>\n

If you attended the First Sunday Annapolis Arts Festival<\/a> in May, you may have met Michele through her alter ego, \u201cClaire,\u201d one of our Kids On The Block puppets. The puppets are part of our anti-bullying shows for second graders that are held throughout the county. \u201cI interacted with the kids walking by our booth with their parents. I quickly became invisible in their eyes and it was all about the puppet, which then inspired their parents to inquire about Assistance League,\u201d said Michele.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll have another chance to meet Michele and \u201cClaire\u201d at our booth at the October 6 First Sunday Annapolis event. Passers-by will also have an opportunity to donate a book and to sponsor a uniform for a child in need at one of our partner schools.<\/p>\n

We hope to see you there!<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Books for Elementary School Students” tab_id=”1562879570508-e9e94faa-5921″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

A Story About Stories<\/span><\/h2>\n

Assistance League of the Chesapeake and Project Literacy<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

\"Assistance<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a story about stories.<\/p>\n

This past June, Assistance League of the Chesapeake members gave every fifth grader at Georgetown East, Meade Heights, and Van Bokkelen elementary schools a hardback copy of \u201cWonder\u201d by R.J. Palacio.<\/p>\n

The protagonist in this book is Auggie Pullman, who was born with a facial difference. Auggie wants to be treated as an ordinary child when he attends his first mainstream school in fifth grade. But his classmates can\u2019t get past his extraordinary face. The themes of identity, acceptance, and bullying resonate strongly with the fifth graders as they \u201cwonder\u201d what it would be like to be Auggie.<\/p>\n

The students served by Assistance League of the Chesapeake have very few books at home. We all know that growing up in a house full of books is a major boost to literacy.<\/strong> So, in addition to the hardbacks given to fifth graders, we gave a paperback copy of a book to all the other students at Georgetown East, Meade Heights, and Van Bokkelen.<\/p>\n

Titles included \u201cBrown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?\u201d<\/strong> by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. This classic children\u2019s book teaches pre-reading concepts of rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. Another book was \u201cClementine\u201d<\/strong> by Sara Pennypacker. In this book, Clementine helps out her friend Margaret, which turns out to be quite hard to do. A third book was \u201cAnna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten\u201d<\/strong> by Anica Mrose Rissi. In this illustrated chapter book, Anna and her two best friends rescue a stray kitten and try to find a good home for him.<\/p>\n

Our Project Literacy program donated close to 1,300 books to under-served children in Anne Arundel County during the last school year.<\/p>\n

Giving away books speaks directly to our mission to give children in need the tools for success. We are committed to spreading a love of reading to all the children we serve!<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Grier” tab_id=”1561663327816-c863ee06-9576″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

You Can Be a Part of Assistance League:<\/span><\/h2>\n

Grier and the Showers of Love Program
\n<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

\"Grier,<\/a>One program that perfectly fits our mission to transform lives and strengthen community is our Showers of Love Baby Shower. This program was started by this month\u2019s featured member, Grier Smokovich. Always one of the first to volunteer to help with a program, Grier came up with the idea when Assistance League of the Chesapeake was looking to expand its programs.<\/p>\n

We partner with local non-profits that support struggling mothers and their children.<\/p>\n

Members hold a shower, donating baby clothing and other necessities that are then passed on to the nonprofit.<\/p>\n

Like many of our members, Grier heard about Assistance League from friends. \u201cAssistance League members like giving back to the community and are delightful. We work with at-risk children, but while doing so, we enjoy each other\u2019s company. I have found many friends from participating in Assistance League.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Assistance<\/a>A member since 2003, Grier\u2019s experience with Assistance League of the Chesapeake has expanded beyond Showers of Love to include volunteering at Georgetown East Elementary School. She helps in the elementary and pre-k classes, and also reads to students. \u201cI always leave feeling that I have gotten as much as I have given,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Grier is also a puppeteer with Kids On The Block. The shows impart an anti-bullying message to second graders, with performances twice a month. This special program has touched the lives of thousands of local children. In addition, she has been an active participant in all aspects of Assistance League over her many years of service.<\/p>\n

Please join me! Click here<\/a> to go to our membership page.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grier, Assistance League of the Chesapeake member since 2003[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Kids On The Block” tab_id=”1554833895017-500ee2b4-c09c”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Meet Eddie, Claire, Jennifer, Brenda, and Melody<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Kids<\/a>Through the years, over 20,000 area students have gotten to know Eddie, Claire, Jennifer, Brenda, and Melody, who are puppets in our Kids On The Block troupe. With their distinct personalities, they teach children about the importance of using kindness and caring both in and out of school. Through the Kids On The Block program, Assistance League of the Chesapeake has been entertaining second graders in Anne Arundel County for 16 years with this unique series of plays about bullying.<\/p>\n

Bullying is a national public health issue. It affects those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness the bullying. It also affects a child\u2019s mental health and is linked to many negative outcomes including substance abuse and suicide.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From October through April our cast and crew visit schools for 45-minute shows, either in person or via a video, which are presented free of charge. Our members eagerly donate their time and talents for about 13 performances each school year, totaling over 800 volunteer hours.<\/p>\n

Through carefully scripted material, the puppets portray real-life situations. Eddie<\/strong> is being bullied by a nasty boy in school, but learns to deal with the boy in a positive way, thanks to his friend Claire. Claire<\/strong> is smart, kind, and has wisdom way beyond her age. She counsels Eddie to do positive things when being bullied: tell a teacher, stand by a friend who is being bullied, and work together to raise awareness of the problem. Jennifer<\/strong> is a rough and ready little girl with a learning difference. She can sing, dance, and play soccer. She gets straight A\u2019s in math, but has an issue with reading and writing. Brenda<\/strong> is a little over weight but very sensitive to being bullied about how she looks. Jennifer<\/strong> helps her learn to ignore the bad remarks and like who she is. Melody<\/strong> is a smart and sassy girl who does well in school and offers to help Jennifer with her school work.<\/p>\n

\"Kids<\/a><\/p>\n

Kids On The Block puppets teach children:<\/p>\n