Improving lives in every community is the vision statement of NATIONAL ASSISTANCE LEAGUE®. For more than 40 years, ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® of Salem has been doing its part to fulfill this vision.

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® of Salem is a non-profit, all volunteer organization with more than 400 members who donate over 34,000 hours a year serving the community through its philanthropies. Its goal is to bring positive change to those in need by:

• Providing Salem-Keizer students referred by school counselors in grades K-12 with school clothes, shoes, and hygiene kits;
• Delivering library materials to seniors and shut-ins;
• Introducing school children to the performing arts;
• Promoting understanding of real-life problems or situations by bringing puppets into the classroom;
• Showing first-graders how reading skills enrich their lives through library use.

The historic Daue House serves as the Chapter's headquarters and is home to its gift and consignment shop. Staffed by Assistance League volunteers, the shop features a unique mix of consigned, donated and new merchandise, and is the Chapter's main fundraiser. Other long-established fundraisers are:

• Cooks Tour: Growing in popularity every year, this benefit features distinctive homes in the Salem-Keizer area
• Stocking Stuffer: A holiday direct mail request for funds
• Business Lunch: Held every February since 1972, this annual fundraiser is strongly supported by the business community and general public.

In addition to fundraising, ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® of Salem receives contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. All funds stay in the local community and go directly to those who need help the most.

Please join ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® of Salem in making a difference to those in need. Your support of these projects can help our organization continue to grow and expand its services. All contributions are tax deductible.

R.E.A.D.^tm
Read, Enjoy, Achieve, Develop
Traveling by Bookmobile, the Children's Librarian and a volunteer from ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® visit every first grade class in Salem-Keizer schools. Thousands of children are issued library cards and taught how to check out books. ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® of Salem has provided resources to purchase children's books in English, Spanish, Russian, and other languages.

OPERATION BOOKSHELF^tm
Brings the Library to the Home
Through an arrangement with Salem Public Library, ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® volunteers deliver books, audio tapes, and videos monthly to housebound patrons. To supplement this program, ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® donates funds each year to the library to purchase large print books, tapes, and bookholders designed for patrons with limited mobility and vision.

KIDS ON THE BLOCK
An Educational Puppet Program
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® volunteers are trained to be puppeteers and present programs dealing with issues such as cultural diversity, abuse, drugs and alcohol, divorce, and bullying. Teachers and counselors in Salem-Keizer schools request programs according to specific needs in their classes. Children in grades 1-4 relate well to the puppets, and question and answer periods follow the presentations.

OPERATION SCHOOL BELL®
Provides Clothing for Children
OPERATION SCHOOL BELL helps enhance the self-esteem of children in need by providing them with new school clothes, shoes, and a hygiene kit. Through requests from Salem-Keizer school counselors, over 2,500 children are clothed annually.

OPERATION ART ADVENTURES^tm
Introduces Performing Arts
Professional performances of music, dance, and theater are presented to elementary and middle school students in Salem-Keizer through this program, either in a school assembly or on a cultural field trip. Reaching over 10,000 students annually who depend on their schools for exposure to the arts, the performances are educational and inspirational.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY AUXILIARY
The Auxiliary is an extension of ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® of Salem and was certified in 1996. Its service projects include:

OPERATION BACKPACK: High-need children in Salem-Keizer schools are given backpacks filled with new school supplies.
BIRTHDAY IN A BOX: Homeless children who are referred by Salem-Keizer school counselors receive age-appropriate birthday items. Seniors on a fixed income are referred by the Foster Grandparent program and also are given a gift bag of surprises.