Celebrating over 65 years of service in San Mateo County!

Welcome to the website of Assistance League of San Mateo County.

Assistance League®, a national organization, has 26,000 members in more than 120 chapters across the United States. Our San Mateo County chapter has been part of the national organization since 1953. Each chapter’s focus is on local community needs and all funds we raise stay in San Mateo County.

Our 98 dedicated member volunteers are the heart and soul of our chapter dedicating over 17,000 service hours.  Our programs and projects support adults, family and children living in our community.

We have four philanthropic programs: Operation School Bell® provided clothing for 1355 children with new school clothes, College Scholarships, Baskets for Babies, and Assault Survivor Kits. In addition, we do Community Outreach which partners with local agencies to help fill specific unmet needs in our community on a short term basis.

The main source of our income for these programs is our thrift shop, Turnstyle, located on 60 North B St. in San Mateo.  Additional support comes from donations and grants. Last year over $183,000 was returned to our community.

I invite you to explore our website. Maybe it will inspire you to join our incredible group of volunteers who are dedicated to making a difference in our community.

Karen Mead

President Assistance League of San Mateo County

Mission, Vision and Values

Assistance League volunteers transforming the lives of families and children through community programs.

VISION

Essential needs are met in our community and families flourish.

CORE VALUES

Commitment: We believe that providing compassionate and caring services to individuals in communities across the nation is the standard and the primary measure of our organization.  We believe we exist for the sole purpose of providing philanthropic services to meet the challenges posed by a diverse array of compelling individual and community needs.

Leadership: We believe that the full measure of our leaders and members is the sum of the products of their vision, professionalism, ethics, sensitivity and the quality of responsiveness to individual needs.

Ethics: We believe that integrity and authenticity in communication and action best demonstrate the most basic, intrinsic values held by member volunteers of this organization.

Accountability: We believe that full accountability is the responsibility of our leaders and members, and is an appropriate expectation of this organization by those who support Assistance League’s work and those who receive its services. We believe that this responsibility demands and drives prudent fiscal and physical management, transparent internal and external relationships, viable program assessment and reasoned evaluation of personnel and organizational performance.

Respect: We believe in the intrinsic value of those we serve and of those with whom we serve. We believe that we can best demonstrate our respect for this value by providing fair and equitable treatment for our member and community volunteers, the recipients of our services and our donors and funders.

Financials

Assistance League of San Mateo County 2023-2024 Board of Directors

President

Karen Mead

Vice-President /Membership

Tish Matulich

Philanthropic Programs

Maria Swanson

Operation School Bell

Maureen Boland

Resource Development

Gail Kelechava

Thrift Shop

Debra Donoghue/Vicki Giles

Public Relations

Joan Young

Education

Rosemary Cohan

Strategic Planning

Karen Tunnell

Building Administration

Mim Hahn

Secretary

Anna Yonamura

Treasurer

Mary Pedersen

Parliamentarian

Dorothy Miller