Click here for details and to register at Lunch with the Authors March 5, 2026

Our Community Service Programs

Transforming Lives • Strengthening Community

Readers Are Leaders Volunteer reading in classroom

Readers Are Leaders

During the 2024-25 school year, our members read two books each month to over 1,000 students in 49 second and third grade classrooms. The books, along with related projects, are left in the classroom. Each child received a book of their own to take home at the holidays and 3 books to read over the summer.

Listening to Readers

Volunteers read aloud various genres of books to students in 2nd and 3rd grade San Jose schools, modeling reading with expression and instilling in students a love of reading.

Bagging Uniforms

Operation School Bell®

During the 2024-25 school year, Assistance League of San Jose provided school uniforms and sweatshirts to over 4,500 students in San Jose schools (pants, shirts, sweatshirts, underwear and socks).

Screening Eyes Early working with a child

Screening Eyes Early (S.E.E.)

During the 2024-25 year, the Screening Eyes Early Program screened 528 preschool children at 19 pre-schools to detect early signs of amblyopia (lazy eye) and poor eyesight, alerting parents and teachers to possible sight issues.

Assist-a-Shelter Petting Zoo at Family Supportive Housing

Assist-a-Shelter

Members cook dinner once a month at San Jose’s Family Supportive Housing. Four times a year, they put on a special event for the families. Members also read to Moms and their children at Parisi House on the Hill and volunteer at CityTeam, helping to provide food and toiletries to the city’s residents in need.

Baby in layette from Caring Hands

Caring Hands

In the 2024-25 year, Caring Hands created over 2,300 baby blankets for new moms at local hospitals, plus additional quilts and lap blankets for Parisi House on the Hill, Family Supportive Housing, and two residential care facilities.

Senior Bingo at A Grace

Bingo

Assistance League members provide craft activities, bingo with small prizes, holiday foods and gift bags to residents at San Jose’s A Grace Sub Acute & Skilled Care facility and Stonebrook Convalescent Homes.

Hug-a-Bear

Hug-a-Bear

Assistance League of San Jose donates thousands of teddy bears to organizations serving children in crisis through organizations including the San Jose Police Department, Santa Clara County domestic abuse centers, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Family Supportive Housing.

Year in Review

94%

of funds raised are returned to the San Jose community

27+

thousand people served in the San Jose community

28

thousand hours volunteered

News & Events

  • All
  • Events
  • News
  • Uncategorized

How to Downsize Your Home

AL of San Jose was delighted to 👏 welcome guest speakers, Blake & Suzanne Hunter to our January Regular Meeting. 👏 Suzanne has been an active member of our chapter since 2024. She and her son Blake are both in the real estate business. They delivered an insightful presentation outlining the steps for downsizing as […]

Over 3,000 Sweatshirts Delivered!

In addition to the uniforms 👩‍🏫delivered at the beginning of the school year, Operation School Bell® 🔔 also delivered over 3,000 sweatshirts to 33 schools 🏫 and 1 Homeless and Foster Youth program.👏 Check the tabs under How We Help to learn more about Operation School Bell 🔔 and our other programs.

Readers Are Leaders

Over 1,000 Students in 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms in 49 San Jose elementary school classrooms welcomed Readers Are Leaders volunteers back to their classrooms for the first session of the new year.👏🎉 They listened to each book and then discussed📙”Abdul’s Story” by Jamilah Tompkins-bgelow, illustrated by Tiffany Rose and 📘 “Chez Bob” written and […]

S.E.E. (Screening Eyes Early) 🤓

AL of San Jose provides free vision screening to the preschool children in need in our community. 🤓 Do you know why? 😲 only 40% under 5 years have had their vision screened 👀, while 1 in 20 preschool-aged children 👫🏻have a vision problem.🤨 😲 1 in 50 children have amblyopia (lazy eye) and if […]

Lunch with the Authors – annual Fundraiser – coming March 5th

Register for “Lunch with the Authors”, Thursday, March 5, before it’s too late! Registration closes on February 21st. Five great authors and a delicious lunch! To learn more about this great fundraiser, visit our Fundraising page on alsj.org.

Thank You, from Family Supportive Housing

Dear Assistance League of SJ, On behalf of Family Supportive Housing, we are incredibly grateful 🙏🏼 for your generosity this December.Thank you so much for donating beautiful quilts 🛏️, yummy cookies 🍪, and cuddly teddy bears 🧸 to the families in our care! During a season filled with giving and reflection, your support brought comfort, […]

Everyone’s a Winner at Bingo!

Everyone’s a 🏆 winner when we play Bingo with the residents at Stonebrook Health Center and A Grace Sub Acute & Skilled Care. ALSJ volunteers bring prizes including stuffed animals🧸, books📚, t-shirts👕, toiletries🧴, handmade quilts🧵 and more, offering a wide array of choices for all of the players. Each month the volunteers bring a little […]

Parisi House on the Hill Welcomes Aila Malek, Guest Speaker

Aila Malek, author of books for children, lawyer, non-profit executive and social justice champion, made her third appearance at Parisi House on the Hill. 👏⚖️ She read her book “Pocket Mommy” to the moms at Parisi House, staying to answer their questions. AL of San Jose gifted a copy of Aila’s book, “Pocket Mommy” to […]

Do you like to knit or crochet? Join us!

Last year 📆, our Caring Hands volunteers donated 2370 layettes (blankets and onesies) 🫃🏽 to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center 🏥. For some families , these are the only possessions they possess for their newborns 👶. Our volunteers 👭 also made lap blankets for residents in two nursing and convalescent homes and layettes for babies […]

Holiday Gifts for the Moms at Parisi House on the Hill

Parisi House on the Hill of Momentum for Health, is a nonprofit live-in facility for young mothers of children 5 years of age and younger. 🤰🏻 👫🏻 The mothers are court ordered to the facility to rehabilitate from drug and/or alcohol addiction. 🙏🏼 Assistance League of San Jose volunteers donate much needed items such as […]

Holiday Party at Palermo’s Restaurant

ALSJ’s annual Holiday Party 🥳🎉 is always a good time. This year Palermo Restaurant provided food 🥘 and drink, 🍷delicioso! Many thanks to Magician Doug Jones 🪄who provided us with amazing, magical entertainment! 🥰 Thinking about volunteering in 2026? Looking to make new friends? 👩‍❤️‍👩 Check us out!

Gift Wrapping at Hicklebee’s Book Store

This year, ALSJ’s holiday elves 🧝‍♀️ wrapped gifts at Hicklebee’s Book Store. 📚 Hicklebee’s, which specializes in children’s 👭 books, has been a beloved landmark in Willow Glen since 1979. Donations were made to ALSJ for the wrapped gifts. 🎁Thank you, Hicklebee’s, for partnering with us for this fundraiser! 😁 Join us!

News & Events

  • All
  • Events
  • News
  • Uncategorized

How to Downsize Your Home

AL of San Jose was delighted to 👏 welcome guest speakers, Blake & Suzanne Hunter to our January Regular Meeting. 👏 Suzanne has been an active member of our chapter since 2024. She and her son Blake are both in the real estate business. They delivered an insightful presentation outlining the steps for downsizing as […]

Over 3,000 Sweatshirts Delivered!

In addition to the uniforms 👩‍🏫delivered at the beginning of the school year, Operation School Bell® 🔔 also delivered over 3,000 sweatshirts to 33 schools 🏫 and 1 Homeless and Foster Youth program.👏 Check the tabs under How We Help to learn more about Operation School Bell 🔔 and our other programs.

Readers Are Leaders

Over 1,000 Students in 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms in 49 San Jose elementary school classrooms welcomed Readers Are Leaders volunteers back to their classrooms for the first session of the new year.👏🎉 They listened to each book and then discussed📙”Abdul’s Story” by Jamilah Tompkins-bgelow, illustrated by Tiffany Rose and 📘 “Chez Bob” written and […]

S.E.E. (Screening Eyes Early) 🤓

AL of San Jose provides free vision screening to the preschool children in need in our community. 🤓 Do you know why? 😲 only 40% under 5 years have had their vision screened 👀, while 1 in 20 preschool-aged children 👫🏻have a vision problem.🤨 😲 1 in 50 children have amblyopia (lazy eye) and if […]

Lunch with the Authors – annual Fundraiser – coming March 5th

Register for “Lunch with the Authors”, Thursday, March 5, before it’s too late! Registration closes on February 21st. Five great authors and a delicious lunch! To learn more about this great fundraiser, visit our Fundraising page on alsj.org.

Thank You, from Family Supportive Housing

Dear Assistance League of SJ, On behalf of Family Supportive Housing, we are incredibly grateful 🙏🏼 for your generosity this December.Thank you so much for donating beautiful quilts 🛏️, yummy cookies 🍪, and cuddly teddy bears 🧸 to the families in our care! During a season filled with giving and reflection, your support brought comfort, […]

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