Assistance League of Riverside

I'm really impressed that Assistance League of Riverside won the Inland Empire Press Enterprise Best Non-Profit award for 2021! They have continued to evolve and adapt their programs during the Covid pandemic, and have also continued to grow their membership. I think it is because they reach people in so many different ways. Their Thrift Shop is fantastic, and a real service to the community! People can donate their good quality usuable items to the shop rather than put them in a landfill, and others can find great bargains and even brand new items at a very discounted price. The shop is clean, organized, and efficiently run by 100% volunteers, and they generate around $350,000 a year, all of which goes to help local children and teens. They have 6 different programs that either clothe, comfort or educate local children, and volunteers can choose what program they want to work on. They also have community sponsors and donors, and apply for grants, making their budget almost $700,000. 74% of each dollar goes back to helping children from 13 different school districts, and they have received a platinum Guidestar rating, the highest possible. Assistance League of Riverside is celebrating their 55th anniversary this year. They are a rock solid organization, and have even started a brand new branch in the Corona-Norco area this year. I highly recommend this organization for your consideration.

I have never worked with a more committed group of volunteers. We willingly give of our time, because we recognize the need for assistance to the underserved children of our community. We help these children feel better about themselves by providing them with new clothes, backpacks for school, nutritious weekend snacks, books of their own, and much more. Our hope is that we can help them gain self-confidence thus increasing their opportunity to succeed in school.

Assistance League of Riverside does so much for the underprivileged children of our community! They provide thousands of children the opportunity to "shop" (free of charge) for new school clothes. They give comfort kits to children waiting for their parents in places that might scare them (like police stations). They give SAT books to over 1000 AVID sophomores in the area, over 400 scholarships to help with the cost of going on Northern California College Visitation trips to AVID juniors, and 4 $1000 scholarships to AVID seniors. They provide hundreds of bags of food each weekend for kids who still need to eat when there's no school lunch program to help them out on the weekend. And they do so much more!

Top that off with having the best Thrift Shop in the area and you have a stellar organization. Way to go ALR!

I have belonged to ALR for several years, having started as a Community Volunteer working in Snack Attack. Through the years I have worked in the Thrift Shop and its "back room"; Operation School Bell and Threads for Teens; Snack Attack; Hearts and Hands; Teen Support; and Bear Pals. What is so nice about this organization is that you can participate as little or as much as you choose; contribute and give back to our own community; and laugh and make great friendships while you are working. I am very proud to say that there is not one paid person in the organization--just simple people wanting to make a difference in the community and along the way having fun and making long term friendships.

Assistance League, Riverside is an organization made up of volunteers working to meet the needs of children in our community. Ever since the economic decline, we have seen an upward movement toward more and more families needing assistance. Snack Attack began with about 100 families (roughly) whose children were on meal programs during the week at school, but were lacking in food for the week end. Since its inception we are now over 700+ children served weekly. RUSD advises how many per school need serving. Don't be confused by the name "Snack Attack". These are healthy, nourishing food bags packed and distributed. Schools report children are less likely to be absent on Fridays now because they want to make sure they receive their bag. Operation School Bell is another program designed to clothe children. Children are dressed in brand new clothes, jackets, and receive shoe vouchers for new shoes. They receive hygiene kits, books geared to their educational level and some school supplies. There seems to be a direct correlation between a child having new clothes and their self esteem among their peers. Again, these children are referred by their respective schools. I could go on about the many other programs we have that are specifically geared to meet these children's need. As the needs continue to grow, so does our need for more and more funds and volunteers. We welcome people in the community to contact us to learn about how they might become and integral part of Assistance League, Riverside, and be able to give back to the community.

The Assistance League of Riverside is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to helping the children of our community. I became a member just a couple of years ago when I was looking to do a little volunteer work now that I am retired. During my career, I served on professional and community nonprofit boards. I was committed to those groups, but now I was looking for something different. I was blown away by the dedication of the Assistance League members that I met. Our members spend many hours on our programs for children and working in our thrift shop or soliciting donations to support those programs. A few examples of the results of their efforts: over 1,900 children received new school clothes during the 2015-16 school year; 950 snack bags were distributed every Friday during the school year to children who might have little else to eat over the weekend; and 152 students were given $100 each to help defray the cost of college campus visits.

I love the fact that the Assistance League of Riverside is an all volunteer organization and all the funds that are raised through the sales at their thrift shop support programs for Riverside area school children. I now belong to the organization and value the energy and commitment of the members and volunteers. I have seen the smile on a child's face as he receives his new clothing, book bag, and supplies for school. I have read the thank yous from the children who receive snack attack bags. I have read the thank yous from older students who received SAT study guides or college scholarships and realize that we make an amazing positive impact for the children we reach.

Over the years we have donated $$, reusable clothing and housewares to ALR. It is a delight to see the children that are helped by giving to this all-volunteer organization. It's good to know that they use everything to help the kids in our community. That's right, they use everything for local needs!!
Seeing kids get new clothes and their smiles make Assistance League of Riverside my favorite non-profit.

My experiences with Assistance League Riverside have been very rewarding as a volunteer and Board member. We engage with the community through our Thrift Store, working with the school districts to aid children of low income families by providing school clothes and weekend snacks. We provide SAT study guides to area high schools for students to use to prepare for their testing and scholarships to area seniors for their college funding. We deliver cuddly bears to area hospitals for their use in the urgent care areas to calm distressed children. We work with other non-profits to provide helpful items for foster children aging out of the system. As a volunteer we reap the benefit of sharing our background knowledge and skills to an organization dedicated to clothing, comforting and educating the children of our community. "Hearts that Care - Hands that Share"

Assistance League has given me the opportunity to give back to my community in a positive, rewarding way. To see a smile light up the face of a child who has just been given his own toothbrush and reading book, to have a teacher thank me for delivering snack bags to homeless children so that they can have something to eat over the weekend, to hear from a nurse that a child has been comforted by a snuggly little bear - these are the rewards that make my day worthwhile.

I have been involved with this organization for 7 years. The support they give to the children of the community is wonderful. Thru Operation School Bell, Snack Attack, they give vital help to the children of Riverside. It has been an honor to be part of this all volunteer agency.

Before becoming a member just this last year I had been familiar with the work of the Assistance League of Riverside for many years. As an elementary teacher and principal I knew firs hand that it makes an important contribution to our commmunity especially through the Operation School Bell program. I knew of a first and second grade brother and sister who only came to school on alternate days in the cold weather--they had one sweater between them and traded off wearing it. When we noticed their odd attendance pattern and the reason behind it, Operation School Bell was there to help. The children started coming to school every day proudly wearing their new clothes. This is just one of many similar stories about the difference this organization makes in the lives of children every day.

Assistance League volunteers are the most caring and giving volunteers with whom I have ever worked. They give countless hours of their time, cheerfully and selflessly. And they do it because of moments like the child who thanked his Operation School Bell dresser for giving him his own toothbrush because he had been sharing one brush with his entire family. Or for the little boy who was most interested in the underwear he received and was so proud of the book he was given that he couldn't tear himself away from the mirror, posing with book under arm. Or for the Homeless children who can't wait for Fridays when they receive their weekend snack bag through Operation Snack Attack.

Volunteering with the Assistance League of Riverside had been a rewarding and unique ex-perience. The most memorable moments are thoes dressing children. Helping them to choose clothes for school and sending them home with a full bag of new jeans, t-shirts, jacket etc. Often you receive a warm hug and a big smile. This is what I call "warm fuzzy" moments. Could there be anything better than to know you helped a child on their way thru life.

I retired from teaching in June of 2005. I knew that I wanted to remain active and I wanted to work in a philanthropic organiztion that helped children. Two members of ALR came to my high school delivering SAT books and wanted to see my chemistry lab/room. I expressed my wishes to do volunteer work to them and they invited me to come to the September meeting. I did. Wow!!! An all volunteer organization that clothes, comforts and assists in the education of chilren in the community. I met and continue to meet the most dedicated, caring, hard-working and generous individuals I have ever had the privilige to know. What a great organization. We clothe needy children with new school clothes and supplies; Supply SAT study books to area high schools; provide weekend lunch bags to homeless children; give stuffed bears to young children in hospitals and to those who are going through the court system as well as other endeavors to assist the community. Sandy Ryan, Riverside, CA

I enjoy volunteering at the Assistance League Thrift store. This is one of our fundraisers in order to help our children by providing the following services: 1. Operation School Bell-which provides new clothing, sanitary kits, backpacks etc. to our needy children. 2. Operation Snack Attack-provides nutritional snack bags to homeless children. 3. Operation College Bound-provides SAT study guides to local schools for students preparing for college entrance exams. 4. Operation BEAR PALS-distributes new teddy bears and gently used stuffed animals to victims of abuse, accident and trauma. These are just a few of the philanthropic programs of Assistance League of Riverside. I feel the hours spent working in the thrift store is time well spent. Lulu Ramos