On the Town: Assistance League honors trio for two decades of service
Three women have been honored for giving 20 years of outstanding volunteer service to the Assistance League of Glendale.
Anne M. Wilson is chair of the vocational training program that provides job training for adults in the Assistance League’s Thrift Alley second-hand shop.
Currently, there are 16 clients and four staff members that participate from the Tierra del Sol Foundation, a private educational organization for developmentally disabled adults in Sunland. The trainees come to the Thrift Alley for two hours on scheduled days to participate in store-keeping tasks appropriate to their individual interests and skills.
The staff members supervise their work and evaluate them monthly. Some trainees learn transferable skills that enable them to get a job. They receive hands-on experiences while contributing to the operation of the store and serving the community.
Some of the tasks the clients perform are greeting the donors who bring items to the thrift store, loading items from donors’ cars onto a cart and bringing them into the store. They sort the blouses, shirts, pants, shorts and children’s clothing and work with the staff members to determine if items are ready to place on hangers. They also go through linens, housewares and knick-knacks.
Volunteering with the clients is very rewarding, Wilson said.
“I’m working with physically and mentally disabled people, and they all have a place in life, and I just feel if we can give them something that’s worthwhile to do and they enjoy it, it just makes their life a little happier,” she said. “They seem very happy to come, and when they leave, they thank me and Assistance League for letting them come. And, of course, we thank them profusely for all their help.”
One special honor the taller clients get to perform is to set out the two American flags — one in front of the shop and the other near the street.
“That’s something they really look forward to,” she said.
Clients also water the plants in the patio of the Assistance League building.
“They sometimes ask if they can do that, and they get so excited because they get to watch the plants and roses grow,” Wilson said.
The motto of Tierra del Sol really impresses Wilson. It says, “Changing challenges into opportunities.”
Another Assistance League member who was honored for 20 years of service was Lina Harper, who not only served the Glendale Unified School District as a PTA volunteer but also as a member of the school board.
In Assistance League, Harper led the group to many accomplishments during the two years she served as president from 2007 to 2009.
“We paid off our mortgage in full in 2008... and we paid Judson Studios in Los Angeles to refurbish the stained-glass window in the meeting room at the front of the building on Harvard Street,” she said. “We all work in the thrift shop and participate in the other philanthropic projects, and one thing I’m proud of is the members earn the majority of our funds and the thrift shop is our main fundraiser.”
Lorraine Meylan has also given 20 years to Assistance League as well as her church and other organizations. One of her activities with Assistance League is serving on the committee that interviews Glendale Community College students who have applied for the league’s scholarships.
She has served as co-chair of the Senior Neighborhood Fellowship, a project of Assistance League that provides lunch and entertainment programs for senior adults. She has also served on the committee that provides SAT seminars for high school students.
“Last Thursday, one of the mothers of a student came in and thanked the teacher of the class and two Assistance League members for what they were doing,” Meylan said. “She said it was very valuable, and she was very appreciative that her child was able to take the course at the cost that we were charging and she thought it was a wonderful service for the community.”
Hospital honors two at Wine and Roses gala
Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital, along with the Glendale Memorial Health Foundation, will honor former foundation board chair Jack Youredjian as well as Pacific BMW and its chief executive David Ho at the 29th annual Evening of Wine and Roses on Sunday at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena.
The foundation will present Youredjian and Pacific BMW with the Humankindness Award for their longstanding support of the hospital and the community.
“Jack has remained a steadfast supporter of Glendale Memorial Hospital, and we continue to be grateful for his and his wife, Zarig‘s, generosity and loyal support,” said Wayne Herron, vice president of philanthropy.
Jack Ivie, the hospital’s president, thanked Pacific BMW for being a longtime partner.
“We are deeply pleased to acknowledge the contributions Pacific BMW and David Ho have made to support housing the homeless through our community partner Ascencia, for their commitment to helping the most vulnerable children in our community find foster and adoptive families, and certainly for their longstanding partnership with Glendale Memorial Hospital,” Ivie said. “The work they do in our community reflects our core Dignity Health value — justice, advocating for social change and promoting respect for all persons.”
The proceeds from this year’s Evening of Wine and Roses will go toward the “Humankindness in the Making” initiative to fund a new outpatient center at Glendale Memorial. The center will feature a new state-of-the-art gastroenterology lab, focusing on comprehensive care of the digestive system.
Things are just ducky at Kiwanis Club’s splashy event
On your mark, get set — quack!
Yes, it’s that time again for Kiwanis Club of Glendale’s 12th annual Rubber Duck Race set from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Lake Glendale — a man-made water feature gracing Verdugo Park for one day — just for this event. The public can purchase rubber ducks that will race along the course in the “lake.”
This family-oriented fundraiser features entertainment, games and food. This year the goal is to race 20,000 ducks and raise $75,000.
Proceeds benefit children through dozens of nonprofit organizations, programs and schools throughout Glendale and communities of Los Angeles County.
Participants can adopt ducks by making a $5 donation per duck or purchasing a Quack Pack (five ducks) for $25. There is no limit.
Winners will vie for $13,000 in cash prizes. The first prize is $10,000; second and third prizes are $1,000 each; fourth and fifth prizes are $500 each; and Quack Pack adopters will be entered in a drawing for a $500 gift card.
There is no need to be present to win, which means anyone from all over the United States can participate. The winner will be called after the event ends.
For more information, visit duckrace.com.
So, get quacking!
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JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.