Our Community Service Programs

Transforming Lives โ€ข Strengthening Community

Readers Are Leaders Volunteer reading in classroom

Readers Are Leaders

During the 2022-23 school year, our members read two books each month to over 1,400 students in 53 second and third grade classrooms. The books, along with related projects, are left in the classroom. At holiday time, each child received a book of their own to take home.

Screening Eyes Early working with a child

Screening Eyes Early (S.E.E.)

During the 2022-23 year, the Screening Eyes Early Program screened over 350 preschool children at 11 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 clothing to the city’s residents in need.

Bagging Uniforms

Operation School Bellยฎ

During the 2022-23 school year, Assistance League of San Jose provided school uniforms and sweatshirts to over 6,000 students in San Jose schools (pants, shirts and socks).

Baby in layette from Caring Hands

Caring Hands

In the 2022-23 year, Caring Hands created over 2,500 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

Senior Bingo

Assistance League members provide craft activities, bingo with small prizes, holiday foods and musical entertainment 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 inย the San Joseย community

33+

thousand hours volunteered

News & Events

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  • Donors
  • Events
  • News

Thank You to Our Business Partners

A huge thank you to our amazing business partners! ๐ŸŒŸ We are so grateful ๐ŸŽ‰ for the incredible support, collaboration, and partnership you provide to us that have truly helped us grow and succeed. ๐Ÿ˜

Enjoy great food & drinks at Jack Holder’s Restaurant and Bar while giving back to your community!

AL of San Jose invites you to come eat at Jack Holder’s, 3153 Meridian Ave, on April 18, 2024 for breakfast ๐Ÿณ, lunch ๐Ÿฅช or dinner ๐Ÿ”. Jack Holder’s will return 20% of your purchase (excluding alcohol) to our chapter. Support our fundraiser to advance Assistance League’s mission to transform lives and strengthen our community. […]

Did You Know?

Forty- years ago, and before Chapter Status, the women of Assistance Guild of San Jose had a goal to transform the lives of children and adults through community projects, which we now call programs. They started with TWO Philanthropic Projects, one for children and one for the elderly. That goal continues today and stands as […]

Lunch with the Authors – Fundraising Success!

๐Ÿ“š Many thanks to our amazing authors: Janie Chang, Robert Dugoni, Tim J. Myers, Elayne Klasson, and Kate Quinn who made our fundraiser such a success! ๐ŸŽ‰ Every author shared wonderful stories and valuable insights with the audience. A great time was had by all! ๐Ÿฅ‚

Story Hour at Parisi House on the Hill

Story Hour at Parisi House ๐Ÿ  is so much fun for the mothers and their children ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆas well as our members. There is an abundance of reading ๐Ÿ“–, singing ๐ŸŽถ and signing!๐Ÿค™๐Ÿผ Our members model reading techniques which the moms can use to read to their children. ๐Ÿค“ Parisi House of Momentum for Health, is […]

3 Pallets of Food for CityTeam!

It is so โค๏ธ rewarding to bag food for San Jose CityTeam and help serve our community with such a simple act. Our members have a good time chatting, getting to know each other all the while filling bags with a variety of ๐Ÿซ˜ packaged and ๐Ÿฅซcanned goods. This past week we filled 300 ๐Ÿ‘bags […]

Today’s Leaders Are Tomorrow’s Leaders

In March, Readers are Leaders volunteers read “Listen” a biography of ๐ŸฅEvelyn Glennie by Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holtzwarth and ๐Ÿ’”Grumpy Monkey” by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang. They learned how to cope with a โ˜น๏ธbad mood and about the rewards of ๐Ÿ’–passion and perseverance. Did you know that even a child who […]

Screening Eyes Early (S.E.E.) Preschool Vision Testing

๐Ÿค” Did you know: ๐Ÿค“ 80% of learning comes through the visual senses? ๐Ÿ‘€ 1 in 20 preschool-age children have vision problems? ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ Screening Eyes Early (S.E.E.) is early intervention which is the key to successful treatment. ๐Ÿ”Ž Our trained screeners refer children to a doctor for a diagnosis when the child doesn’t pass. ๐Ÿ‘ญ๐Ÿป […]

Thank You to Our Local Sponsors

You help make ๐Ÿ“šbooks for kids, ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿฝโ€๐ŸŽ“uniforms for students, ๐Ÿค“ glasses for preschoolers, ๐Ÿ‘ถblankets for newborns, ๐Ÿ‘ต๐Ÿผ bingo for the infirmed, and ๐Ÿ”food for the hungry possible. โค๏ธ We are most grateful!

Did You Know?

In 1906, Anne Banning began a relief unit in response to the SF earthquake and fire, calling it Assistance League. In 1919, she organized Assistance League of Southern California, now known as Founder Chapter to provide food and clothing for local families impacted by WWI. What are you doing for your community? ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿผ Get involved! […]

“Happy Birds” Visit Family Supportive Housing

AL of San Jose volunteers hosted a ‘Happy Birds’ special event at Family Supportive Housing. The Happy Birds troupe’s amazing parrots entertained the resident families with their fun, interactive, educational presentation. Do you like to brighten someone’s day? Join us!

Read Across America Day

๐ŸŽ‚Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! AL of San Jose’s Readers Are Leaders program supports literacy for children throughout the year, reading in over 50 classrooms and donating books to the schools and students. ๐Ÿ“–One of our members created a beautiful quilt that reminds of us of our connection to National Education Association’s ‘Read Across America Day’. […]

News & Events

  • All
  • Events
  • News

Thank You to Our Business Partners

A huge thank you to our amazing business partners! ๐ŸŒŸ We are so grateful ๐ŸŽ‰ for the incredible support, collaboration, and partnership you provide to us that have truly helped us grow and succeed. ๐Ÿ˜

Enjoy great food & drinks at Jack Holder’s Restaurant and Bar while giving back to your community!

AL of San Jose invites you to come eat at Jack Holder’s, 3153 Meridian Ave, on April 18, 2024 for breakfast ๐Ÿณ, lunch ๐Ÿฅช or dinner ๐Ÿ”. Jack Holder’s will return 20% of your purchase (excluding alcohol) to our chapter. Support our fundraiser to advance Assistance League’s mission to transform lives and strengthen our community. […]

Did You Know?

Forty- years ago, and before Chapter Status, the women of Assistance Guild of San Jose had a goal to transform the lives of children and adults through community projects, which we now call programs. They started with TWO Philanthropic Projects, one for children and one for the elderly. That goal continues today and stands as […]

Lunch with the Authors – Fundraising Success!

๐Ÿ“š Many thanks to our amazing authors: Janie Chang, Robert Dugoni, Tim J. Myers, Elayne Klasson, and Kate Quinn who made our fundraiser such a success! ๐ŸŽ‰ Every author shared wonderful stories and valuable insights with the audience. A great time was had by all! ๐Ÿฅ‚

Story Hour at Parisi House on the Hill

Story Hour at Parisi House ๐Ÿ  is so much fun for the mothers and their children ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆas well as our members. There is an abundance of reading ๐Ÿ“–, singing ๐ŸŽถ and signing!๐Ÿค™๐Ÿผ Our members model reading techniques which the moms can use to read to their children. ๐Ÿค“ Parisi House of Momentum for Health, is […]

3 Pallets of Food for CityTeam!

It is so โค๏ธ rewarding to bag food for San Jose CityTeam and help serve our community with such a simple act. Our members have a good time chatting, getting to know each other all the while filling bags with a variety of ๐Ÿซ˜ packaged and ๐Ÿฅซcanned goods. This past week we filled 300 ๐Ÿ‘bags […]

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