SOME QUICK FACTS

Assistance League of Victor Valley is a nonprofit organization whose member volunteers identify, develop, implement and fund ongoing, community-based philanthropic programs for specific needs of the Victor Valley.  In 1979, with nine members it originated as an Assistance League Guild. In 1982, it attained Full Chapter Status.  It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Assistance League of Victor Valley, chartered as a chapter of National Assistance League in 1982, is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that puts caring and commitment into action.  For more than 43 years, our members have logged thousands of hours transforming the lives of children, their families, and individuals in need throughout our local community.

We have four mains sources of funding: Assistance League Thrift Shop, a fall mail campaign, a spring social event, and grants/donations. We have an excellent reputation for putting our funding to good use and accomplishing great things in the community.

All funds raised in the Victor Valley are invested in the Victor Valley. Assistance League of Victor Valley directs its funds to primarily benefit elementary school children in the area.

 

MISSION STATEMENT

Assistance League Volunteers transforming lives through Philanthropic Programs.

VISION STATEMENT

To help meet the needs within our community.

VALUES STATEMENT

Assistance League of Victor Valley has a rich history of supporting the vision and talents of dedicated volunteers engaged in personal service to our community and embraces the following values:

Commitment – Dedicated to a course of action

Leadership – Willingness to lead and develop leaders

Ethics – Doing the right thing in a reliable way

Accountability – Willingness to accept responsibility

Respect – Treating all with courtesy

Community Connections

Assistance League is extremely grateful to our community for their ongoing support.

We truly appreciate customers who support our Thrift Shop since 46% of our budget comes from sales.  Not only are we meeting the needs of our community by offering good quality merchandise, but every sale helps fund our philanthropic programs.

Each time we hold a clothing event for students to shop for new school clothes it is because of the kindness of our customers and supporters.  Every child deserves a chance, and you have shown up time and time again to support us and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of families. To quantify that statement, this fall we clothed 1,403 students and spent over $161,000.  We are currently returning 78% of our revenue to the community!

By believing in our mission and supporting our vision through your generous donations and sponsorships, we can do even more.  It is our hope that as we continue to transform the lives of children and adults through our programs you will continue to open your heart to the joy of giving.

In the 40 years that Assistance League of Victor Valley has been a chapter, members have made a concerted effort to build Community Connections by working with Victor Valley residents, businesses, organizations, school districts, local government agencies, and by applying for grants from local and national foundations.

Dedicated chapter members donate untold hours of their time, generously give monetary and in-kind donations, but also recognize the importance of nurturing and maintaining our ties with the community.

2024-2025 Accomplishments

Volunteer Hours — Over 14,000 hours

Membership Growth and Engagement:
Membership, led by Lisa Bentz, grew steadily this year—from 98 to 105 members by May 2025. This
includes 64 voting, 35 nonvoting, and six PALS and Lifetime members. We were thrilled to welcome eight new members into our chapter.

Operation School Bell® Continues to Shine:
Under Sandi Maberry’s leadership, Operation School Bell® provided clothing and grooming kits to 1,291 students during 15 JC Penney shopping events, serving all eight High Desert school districts. With $185,002 spent, nearly 900 volunteer hours were contributed to assist families throughout the season.
The program also responded to urgent requests from schools and fulfilled a special need by providing 200 pairs of shoes to students in Adelanto. In addition, 50 backpacks donated by Trinity Lutheran Church were distributed to students across the Victor Valley. Since its inception, this program has now clothed over 38,500 children.

Outreach Program —This program was designed to provide our chapter with the flexibility to respond to community needs as they arise on a one-time only basis, such as for natural disasters and emergencies. This year we purchased clothing for a family of five who lost their home due to a fire in Adelanto.

Operation Hug – The Committee continues to deliver two bags of 15 bears to our three local hospitals –Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center, Desert Valley Hospital, and Victor Valley Global Medical Center. Approximately 700 bears were delivered this year.

Project R.E.A.D. –
* Literacy Awards – 4,354 books were delivered to third-grade students in each of the eight Victor Valley school districts. These books were ordered from Scholastic Literacy Partnerships at a cost of $9,015. We also received 600 free books that were donated to the libraries of each school. Books from this were also donated to A Better Way.
*Young Authors – We reimbursed Victor Elementary School District and Snowline Joint USD a total of $3,025 to bind for their students whose stories were selected.
*Science and Technology Awards – $900 awards were given to teachers from Lime Street Elementary, Riverside Prep MS, Discovery School, Lucerne Valley Elementary, Theodore Vick School, Westside Park Elementary, and Silverado HS to purchase $8,203 worth of teaching materials/supplies. We estimate that this will benefit over 1000 students in grades TK – 12 over the next three years.

Pass It On! Program Delivers Big Impact
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Barb Molina, Alison Janzen, Patti Everly, Lisa Hoegerman, and Ruth Bertone, the Pass It On program had a remarkable year. With over 66 deliveries made to schools,
nonprofits, and local charities, the team distributed approximately 7,800 items valued at $18,819—
extending the reach of our mission throughout the community.

Assisteens® Make a Difference
Led by Ramona Muldoon, the Assisteens® of Victor Valley made a big impact this year through their Teens Helping Teens program, donating backpacks filled with grooming items and sleeping bags to local school districts.
Their 5th annual Mad Hatter Tea and Fashion Show was a sold-out success, raising $1,644 to support
future projects. Assisteens proudly modeled Thrift Shop fashions—many of which they returned to buy themselves.
They also helped assemble over 1,100 grooming kits for Operation School Bell®, volunteered at JC Penney events, supported the Thrift Shop’s Holiday Boutique, and wrapped gifts for the AMR Fill the Ambulance campaign.
The group shopped for and wrapped holiday gifts and Easter baskets for families served by A Better Way and donated cozy pajamas to those in need.
With 288 volunteer hours logged and three seniors—Aurora Cook, Vanessa Garcia, and Zoie Vitug—
graduating, the Assisteens showed just how powerful teen volunteers can be.

Thrift Shop Update
Under Lisa Hoegerman’s leadership, the Thrift Shop has reached $209,000 in sales, with many days
topping $2,000. Weekly specials, posted on Facebook and programmed into the registers, continue to
draw in customers and ease volunteer workload.
LeagueLink has improved shift sign-ups, and the move to 2.5-hour shifts has increased volunteer
availability. New volunteers are trained quickly by JoAnn Seel and often start right away.
Display upgrades and a successful Holiday Sale, which brought in $4,600, have made this a standout
year for the shop.
Assistance League Thrift Shop continues to provide an immeasurable amount of goods to our local
customers at sensible prices.

Financial Records

2023 FY 990

2022 FY 990
2021 FY 990
2020 FY 990
2019 FY 990
2021 Final Audit Report
2020 Final Audit Report
2020-2021 Annual Report
2019-2020 Annual Report
2018-2019 Annual Report

2023 – 2028 Strategic Plan

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