their reputation in the community to locate and hire professional workers at discounted rates, and generally making Crooked Creek their own.

Thanks to their efforts, we now have a beautiful building, custom fitted to our needs, and a perfect home for our philanthropic programs. Moreover, they were able to complete the entire renovation at less than half the estimated cost.

While the retrofitting was taking place, a team of members planned and organized the logistics of the move. The goal was to make the move a smooth transition, purchasing as little as possible and using volunteers and pro bono movers to minimize costs but maximize attractiveness. The actual move took place in early March. We are looking forward to having our April regular meeting in our new Chapter Room.

Now, we're on to phase three - a capital campaign to pay for the building.

Editor’s Note: In the Dec. 2016/Jan. 2017 issue of this newsletter, the address and closing date for the new building were incorrectly stated. The correct address is 6264 Crooked Creek Road. The actual closing date was December 16, 2016.

Assistance League is all about joining together to help those in need in our community. In doing so, we give our time and talents freely. That is exactly what has happened with our new building in Peachtree Corners.

After several years of a dedicated, frustrating search for a building in Chamblee, Marie Drake and her Growth and Development team found the Crooked Creek property in early October. While not the ideal solution of being under one roof, this building provides the opportunity to move programs and administrative offices from Broad Street, allowing Attic Treasures and the warehouse to expand in their current location. At November’s regular meeting, the membership voted overwhelmingly to purchase the building. It was in great condition, and the price was right.

Phase two, to retrofit the building to our needs, began in December. The estimated cost came in at over $250,000, not including a contractor to manage the project. Luckily, caring and giving is not confined to the women of Assistance League.

Jim Gaffey and Bill Tobin, who are drivers and part of the fleet team, as well as husbands of members, came to our rescue. Both have professional experience in this field and have lived this renovation daily since we first looked at Crooked Creek, lending their expertise to determine thoughtful solutions to building problems such as a loading dock, using

Serving Gwinnett County

by Joyce Herring

Now that we have a presence in Gwinnett County, there is renewed interest in serving the needs of that community. Currently, we serve Gwinnett agencies through four of our philanthropic programs.

Gwinnett Medical Center receives 200 Wee Help layettes a year.

Gwinnett Technical College received $14,000 from Links to Education last year. Out of this fund, nine $1,250 scholarships and two $1,375 scholarships were awarded.

Gwinnett County Fire Departments receive 100 bears quarterly from Bears for Children.

New Beginnings serves three agencies:

Gwinnett County Public Schools Homeless Outreach Program receives hygiene kits containing a large shampoo, condit ioner, toothpaste, lotion, two tooth brushes, razors and a wash cloth. We provide other household items on request. The people we serve are living in cheap hotels, temporary apartments and cars.

Norcross Cooperative Ministry receives bags of clothing from Attic Treasures and hygiene kits made from hotel supplies for families in crisis.

Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center receives Assault Survivor Kits® containing basic clothing (a sweatshirt and sweatpants in winter and shorts and top in summer), flip-flops and personal hygiene items. We also provide healthy snacks and beverages for children accompanying victims being treated.

As we grow, we wi l l be eva luat ing add i t iona l program serv ices for Gwinnet t .

In this issue

A Well-Traveled Customer 2

Behind the Scenes 3

FUNdraising Ideas Are All Around Us 4

Lucy Hall - A Charismatic Leader 5

Hosting the Chamblee Chamber 5

Our Capital Campaign 6

Assistance League of Atlanta Newsletter Feb - Mar 2017

Phase Two is Complete by Lynn Soylemez

The Broad Street Journal

We will enjoy plenty of good eats in this handsome new kitchen.

B J Lackey and Mary Reismeyer do some “heavy” renovations at Crooked Creek.

Donated toiletries become hygiene kits for assault survivors.

2

President’s Message I am writing this on the very day we received an official Certificate of

Occupancy for our new addition in Peachtree Corners! From the purchase in

October to the move-in ready building in early March, we have come a long

way in a short time.

How? We are one team with a common

mission and a common vision. Capable

and qualified members and volunteers

stepped up to lead the charge. You asked

responsible and thoughtful questions, you

were rightfully concerned about finances,

and, as a team, you overwhelmingly

supported the move for growth.

The excitement is unmistakable. Let’s keep the momentum going! Offer to help

where you can. Together we will maintain our mission to serve, we will

continue to do good work, and we will aspire to our vision to become

recognized as leaders in changing lives in Atlanta.

Kathryn

2016 — 2017

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Kathryn Ray

President-Elect

Lynn Soylemez

Secretary

Joan Sellers

Treasurer/CFO

Tobi Cohen

Vice President, Membership

Carol Gaffey

Vice President,

Resource Development

Julie Antinucci

Vice President,

Philanthropic Programs

Angeline Box

Vice President,

Communications

Janice Smith

Strategic Planning Chairman

Robbie Stiles

Parliamentarian

Mary Lou Stamy

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Mr. Lorenzo Alzaga

Retired DeKalb County Administrator

Ms. Harriet Isenberg

Isenberg and Hewitt, PC

Ms. Laura Kahn

Bank of America

Mr. Richard Michell

Chamblee Businessman

Ms. Laurie Grant Nichols

Capital Results, LLC

Mr. Kirby Pate

Pate Design Group

Ms. Kristy L. Seidenberg

The Law Offices of Kristyne L. Seidenberg, Esq.

Mr. Grant Wells

Jett Ferry Chick-fil-A, Dunwoody

understanding of other cultures has

brought about a deep philosophy of

peace and cultural awareness. Her

14-year-old grandson, Fez Zafar,

recently won a White House award and

a young philanthropist award in Iowa for

the film, “Road to Unity.” He may live in

Iowa but, like Durshi, is a citizen of the

world. Durshi’s bumper sticker? “I am

a global citizen, the world is my country

and to do good things is my religion.”

Assistance League customer Durshi

Zoberi comes to Attic Treasures to buy

household items or inexpensive

scarves for people who do not drive

and have never used a thrift store, or

to buy small journals for children tn

Pakistan to write in. Born in India,

Durshi went to medical school in

Pakistan, and then had an arranged

marriage, surprising to those who hear

she is a physician. Her husband’s

career with an oil company took them

to Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore,

Africa, Japan, Malaysia, Indo-China

and the U.S.

Durshi has found people in the United

States to be open, giving, and

kind-hearted – almost too trusting,

given her experiences at age 5, seeing

dead bodies on her journey from

war-torn India to Pakistan. Her

A Well-Traveled Customer

by Marylyn Brown

Durshi Zoberi

3

Behind the Scenes by Janice Smith

We are very proud of our Attic Treasures Thrift Shop. The windows are beauti ful ly decorated wi th collectibles; clothing, jewelry and accessories are attractively coordinated on rounders; shoes are well organized; furniture is tastefully arranged and housewares are creatively displayed.

For those of us who are not regular warehouse workers, we may not apprec ia te what goes into making our shop

so inviting. We see donations coming in the back door, and we see them going out the front door, but we don’t see what goes on i n between.

Every Monday about 40 hard-working member volunteers come to the warehouse to make it all happen. They come in, go to their individual stations and sort, clean, repair, test, hang, price, tag, then stock the shop making sure we have the best merchandise available for sale. The warehouse workers are a l s o r e s p o n s i b l e f o r s t o r i n g non-seasonal items off-site and making room for things to go into the shop as space becomes available.

Then on Thursdays, they come back to do it all over again and re-stock with fresh merchandise. Sometimes you’ll see them working on displays on other days of the week. Changeover is another momentous task. Their work is

Member Spotlight Stephanie Bash

by Paula Smiley

A lot of good ideas come out the

state of California. So it was for

our chapter when new member,

Stephanie Bash, joined our

group. Stefanie was active in

Assistance League in California,

coordinating a fundraising raffle

at monthly meetings. She and

fellow new members, Annie

Gillespie and Sandy Kaiser, have

started that tradition at our

meetings. Prizes have included

tickets to the Atlanta Botanical

Gardens, Braves tickets, and gift

cards to local eateries. All funds

support the Building Fund.

Have you noticed the crisp, new

personalized aprons many

members are wearing in the

shop? That’s another idea

Stephanie put into action! “I love

working in the shop, it’s so fun,”

she said, “and the aprons help

members put names with faces.”

Although she and her husband

live in Ansley Park, her heart

may still be in Texas where all

three of her grown children live.

Stephanie is a dental hygienist,

but, since moving to Atlanta, she

is enjoying exploring the many

unique shops and markets our

city has to offer.

.

never done.

Because of space limitations in the warehouse, our volunteers work under difficult circumstances, but this will improve when the bui lding is reconfigured. Even though it’s crowded, it’s amazingly well-organized.

There’s no doubt they need pain relievers when they get home after a long day in the warehouse, but they have fun, too. There is a real camaraderie among the volunteers as they socialize and build friendships while they work. Once a month, they gather together for a sack lunch in the multi-purpose room and discuss issues in the warehouse.

Do they need help? You bet they do. Shirley McJunkin, our warehouse manager, would like to have additional teams work on Tuesdays and Fridays to keep up with the donations. Have you noticed the tables and shelves in the warehouse piling up soon after the Monday and Thursday workdays?

Let us not take these wonderful, hard-working men and women for granted. Let them know they’re appreciated. It is through their efforts and dedication that we are able to help

so many in need in our community.

Stephanie Bash brought us new FUNdraising ideas from

California!

4

Everywhere we turn these days, it seems someone is raising money for Assistance League. There is no shortage of FUNdraising ideas. Here are just a few:

Community PR: At the urging of Melinda Maddox, we applied to Channel 46 for its 3 Degree Guarantee – a weather challenge that “earned” Assistance League $1,100 after a 96% forecast accuracy.

Events: Tobi Cohen turned a door prize at a Chamblee Chamber of Commerce meeting into a wine tasting party at SAVI in Buckhead, earning

$885 for the building fund.

March into Chick-fil-A takes place on March 18 and will ultimately generate m o n e y f o r i m p o v e r i s h e d schoolchildren to have new shoes.

Glitz and Glam: This annual event, which sells glamorous holiday clothes, furs and accessories, usually brings in about $6,000. In 2016, funds were used to treat Operation School Bell® families with $100 Kroger gift cards to buy holiday meals.

MDD Book Drive: In October we held our fifth annual Children’s Book Drive, collecting a record number of 17,400 books. The books were valued at $33,060, and recognized as both income through gifts in-kind and a program expense through Operation

School Bell, increasing our Return to Community.

Raffles: The raffle team (Stephanie Bash, Anne Gillespie and Sandy Kaiser) sol ici ts i tems from businesses for raffles at our regular meetings. Raffles usually bring in $200-400 per meeting and have earned $1,485 for the building fund this fiscal year.

Money-making lunches: Becky Jones is coordinating lunches after the regular meet ings wi th res taurants that donate a percentage of sales to Assistance League. We have eaten our way to $185 for the building fund.

Craft party: Recently members gathered to make over 40 Easter baskets, which will bring in shopper dollars when we reopen for spring.

Fashion shows: Our fashion shows, held periodically at the request of organizations such as Dunwoody Baptist Church, are a chance to sell clothing on the spot. These funds go into Attic Treasures sales and usually range from $500

to $900.

Fundraising Matters

FUNdraising Ideas Are All Around Us

by Joyce Herring

Members earned $135 for the building fund at Sweet Tomatoes.

Joanie, Dodie and Ellen sold lots of bling at the November Glitz and Glam sale.

Tell a friend or relative: Ellen Frank “twisted the arm” of her son, Brian, a money manager for Morgan Stanley, and he disbursed a $5,000 grant for Operation School Bell from a foundation fund that he manages.

Ongoing Efforts

Cause marketing: Register with Amazon Smile and Kroger, and all your purchases generate a percentage for Assistance League.

Since 2014, we have earned $873.

Matching donations : Many companies will match all or part of a charitable donation. Since 2014, we have received matching gifts of $3,900, thanks to member and family donations.

Mailings: Members responded generously to our year-end mailing, donating over $26,000 for the building fund. The Mothers’ Day mailing will be here soon. Last year

it generated $21,425.

Corporate giving: Most of our corporate donations happen through a member contact or an established business relationship. In this fiscal year, we have received over $5,400 from businesses.

Grants: This is our largest fundraising source other than Attic Treasures. In this fiscal year, we have received $49,735 from foundations.

Planned giving: When you remember Assistance League in your estate planning, you are making a planned gift. There is no minimum amount, and you may remain anonymous if you wish.

We’re a money-making machine! What’s your FUNdraising idea? Millie Sandels (l) and Ann Malcom

are our fashion show mavens.

Tasting wine and making money for the building fund at the same time is FUNdraising!

5

Lucy Hall, Founder and CEO of Mary

Hall Freedom House (MHFH) has

been described as “a charismatic

leader who draws people to her

cause.” After hearing her speak at

our February regular meeting about

her mission of empowering women to

break the cycle of addiction to drugs

and alcohol, we know that description

is right on.

She told her own tragic story of her

mother, Mary Hall, dying from

alcoholism when Lucy was only six

years old. Lucy herself has been in

recovery for 27 years. These

personal experiences motivated her to

found Mary Hall Freedom House in

1996, providing treatment and a place

to live for women suffering from

addictions in the Atlanta area.

Through the help of community

partners like us, MHFH has grown

exponentially and now helps restore

500 lives annually for women and

their children, operating on a budget

of $5 million. They have seven

programs, including providing housing

for the homeless. Their most recent

program, “The Bridge,” benefits

homeless girls ages 16 to 21. They

serve female veterans and their

children as well.

Joanie, a recent graduate of the

MHFH recovery program, also shared

her personal story with us. She

Hosting the Chamblee Chamber

by Janice Smith

Our chapter hosted the monthly C h a m b l e e C h a m b e r o f Commerce meeting, referred to as “Business After Hours,” on the evening of February 15. The event gave us the opportunity to show off Attic Treasures after the shop had closed.

It was also an opportunity for business leaders in our community to see and appreciate what we're all about. As they viewed the week's worth of clothes we provide through Operation School Bell, they were awed not only by the number of children that we help but also by the breadth of what we do. Relating the other ways we help those in need reaffirmed how we make our community a better place to live.

Thanks to all who provided the food and decorations, conducted tours and socialized with our guests. Also, thanks to Mary Lou Doyle for arranging the event. It was our first time to host a Chamber meeting but, hopefully, not our last.

graduated from college with honors,

had a career, then married and had

two daughters. Her battle with alco-

holism led to her divorce and

eventually homelessness. Through

the help of “Miss Lucy” and MHFH,

she is now rebuilding her life.

Joanie participated in our “Dress 4

Jobs” event, receiving clothing for job

interviews, as well as MARTA cards

for transportation. We do several of

these events a year, and our

members enjoy helping the women

select their outfits and accessories.

This past holiday season, we

received a request from MHFH to

provide gifts for the residents.

Participating members were as-

signed a name and a list of needed

items to purchase. The response

was overwhelming, and wrapped

gifts piled up in the chapter house

waiting to be delivered. We also

provide maternity clothes and baby

items that are donated to us. Lucy is

very appreciative of the support our

chapter has provided through the

years.

She refers to Mary Hall Freedom

House as a “community of love and

sisterhood where miracles happen

every day.” We are fortunate that we

can help make a difference in the

lives of the women and children who

pass through their doors.

Joanie (l) and Lucy Hall touched our hearts at the February regular meeting.

MHFH residents express their joy and gratitude for holiday

gifts from members.

Lucy Hall - A Charismatic Leader

by Janice Smith

Attic Treasures hosted the Chamblee Business After Hours meeting.

Attending Business After Hours were (l to r) Barbara Barber, Brookhaven Chamber, Kerry Mitchell, Chamblee Chamber president, and Charlene

Fang, Chamblee Chamber member.

6

March into Chick-fil-A by Janice Smith

Celebrate the Past! Embrace the Future! by Kathryn Ray

Broad Street Journal

Editorial Staff

Managing Editors

Janet Bernstein

Joyce Herring

Janice Smith

Contributing Writers

Marylyn Brown

Joyce Herring

Elaine McClean

Kathryn Ray

Janice Smith

Paula Smiley

Lynn Soylemez

Photographer

Brenda Dorrien

Desktop Publisher

Marylyn Brown

Published bi-monthly by Assistance League of Atlanta for its member

volunteers.

3534 Broad Street

Chamblee, GA 30341

For information, contact

pr@AssistanceLeagueATL.org

Membership News 179 Voting Members

95 Non-voting Members

274 Total Members

Printing compliments of

Accent Graphics

A capital campaign is quite an undertaking, but we must have one in order to pay

for our new building at Crooked Creek and for the renovations at Broad Street. We

are currently in the “quiet phase” of the campaign, getting organized and coming up

with a manageable plan, theme and so on.

We have a small group of people who meet twice a month on the first and third

Wednesday. The committee will always welcome new members on a long or

short-term basis, especially if you have great ideas for fundraising.

We are meeting with a graphic designer to help us with a theme and marketing

materials. We also met with Rob Townes from Sinclair Townes, a professional

fundraiser, to oversee our plan.

We would like to thank our members who have already donated and encourage

others to support our growth. No amount is too small, but we must have 100%

support from our members before we can go to outside donors. If you have any

questions, please ask one of the committee members:

Elaine McClean

Marie Drake

Lynn Farrell

Susan Glahn

Capital campaign chairman, Elaine

McClean, and Marie Drake are just two of the members planning the campaign.

Our annual "March Into Chick-fil-A" shoe drive event will be held on Saturday,

March 18 at the Chick-fil-A on Jett Ferry Road in Dunwoody from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00

p.m. Bring new or gently-used shoes and receive a gift card for a free Chick-fil-A®

Chicken Sandwich.

Grant Wells, owner and operator of the restaurant, is also a member of our Advisory

Council and a big supporter of Assistance League of Atlanta. Let’s show our

appreciation by coming to the event and inviting family and friends to come as well.

If they can’t come, ask them to give you their shoes. There will be bins for shoe

donations in both our Crooked Creek and Broad Street locations the week before

and after the event.

Stay tuned for the announcement of our special Attic

Treasures shoe sale when the donated shoes will be sold.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase shoe

vouchers for our Operation School Bell students. Last

year, the sale generated $2,243, which will buy 132 pairs

of shoes for elementary school children or 90 pairs for

middle school students.

In addition to providing shoes for children in need, this

event gives Assistance League of Atlanta great publicity in

the Dunwoody community.

Janice, Joyce, Joan, Heidi, Lynn and Val thank this man

for donating shoes!

Becky Jones

Kathryn Ray

Lynn Soylemez

Our Capital Campaign by Elaine McClean