ASSISTANCE LEAGUE HUNTINGTON BEACH

Support our seniors, started in 2003, addresses the needs of lower income, homebound or at risk older adults to enhance their quality of life and promote a more successful aging process. Coordination is done between our auxiliary dreamcatcher's program members and care managers at the senior centers of fountain valley, huntington beach and westminster. Over 960+ recipients were aided in fiscal year 2024-2025 with 590 grocery cards, 50 access bus passes, 380 thanksgiving boxed meals, as well as an assortment of other essential needs identified by the care managers. In addition 150 seasonal gift bags were distributed twice a year containing essential items, some fun items, and cards made by our members with encouraging notes for the seniors.

All other service and programs offered 2024-2025 nursing scholarships - part of our philanthropy is to provide our local community the tools to achieve, among other things, greater economic independence. This year we awarded 73 scholarships totaling 108,000 to nursing students already attending our local community college and recent high school graduates beginning that path. All recipients were selected based on need and strict academic criteria. Scholar's hope - scholarships are awarded to qualified high school graduates attending two local high schools to help with their first two years of college. The program contributes to enrichment programs including steam, team building, financial literacy, social/emotional skills, improvement in study skills, and prep classes for sat. 6 scholarships totaling 22,000 were awarded. Links to learning - the original program covering elementary and middle school teachers was started in 2008 to provide awards and support to help fund enrichment programs and materials and interactive technologies not available through traditional funding. 113 awards that covered 176 teachers. We also provided new beginning teacher awards of 200 for 32 new teachers. This year we initiated a similar program for high school teachers with 12 awards that covered equipment for multiple classrooms. Operation bear hug - in collaboration with local hospitals and emergency centers, we distributed 1,465 teddy bears to provide comfort in times of personal trauma. Operation share - excess items that have been donated to the thrift store are given to other 501(c)(3) organizations in the community. Silver anchor - started 1996, supports 45 mentally impaired men and women in an out-patient program associated with the huntington beach hospital. This is a medically supervised out-patient program which provides meals, counseling, socializing, and daily transitional assistance through educational programs. Most of these patients live in board & care housing, with the bulk of their income needed for housing expenses. Some are left with nominal funds needed for clothing, hygiene. We provided patients an abundance of gift cards to walmart, del taco, carl's jr, treats for various holidays, hygiene products, and a 85- and 50" flat screen tvs with a mount for them to stream activities. Alzheimer's family service center - started in 1980, an adult day health care facility providing memory care programs and caregiver support to create happier and healthier days for their 100+ participants and their families. They are open to all income levels who need support. Provides annual budgeted monies to the afc toward purchases of various items to augment their goal of providing a daily schedule of stimulating therapeutic activities, exercise, creative art projects, craft items, bluetooth music boxes, holiday dcor for each holiday, and balloons for all the holidays. Therapeutic riding center program - started 1996, a non-profit organization. They provide a safe, comprehensive, and educational program through horseback riding for multi- handicapped children and people of all ages. The program typically runs year-round, in 10 week sessions. We provided scholarships for 11 students, which covered 50% of the cost of lessons, for a 10-week session for each student. Student's disabilities range from musculoskeletal challenges, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, autism, down syndrome, deafness and add. Trc enables each student to be in touch with the world of power, freedom, and joy. In addition, their mobility and flexibility greatly improve because of this riding therapy. We also provided financial assistance for 20 students to attend the annual cal net horse show in may 2025, financial support for scholarships, two baskets for a silent auction for trc's annual fundraiser that was held in september 2024. The assisteens auxiliary helps pss low income single parents give their children a birthday celebration they otherwise might not have, creating "birthday in an envelope" packages. They assisted with a christmas party for project self sufficiency parents and their children.