Georgetown Mayor declares September 20th as "Assistance League of Georgetown Area Day"
Georgetown, Tx — Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder took time to recognize Assistance League of Georgetown Area for 20 years of continuous service to the community at a brief presentation ceremony held at the Georgetown Library. In declaring September 20, 2021 “Assistance League of Georgetown Day,” the mayor heralded the organization as an example of what makes the city unique and attractive in times of rapid growth. “Assistance League of Georgetown Area is a great example of what makes Georgetown so special.” said Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder. “They represent an entrepreneurial spirit, resilience in tough times, and – most important – a dedication to improving the lives of both young and old. Georgetown is a much better place because of their sustained and expanding contributions to the community.”
The group raises funds largely by accepting donations of clothing and house goods and reselling them at their popular Thrift Shop located at 900 N. Austin Ave. Suite 115, Georgetown, TX 78626. All of the proceeds are used to fund philanthropies dedicated to improving the lives of the elderly and elementary school students and teachers in Georgetown, Jarrell, and Florence. “Through both our Thrift Shop and philanthropies, we are able to positively touch the lives of thousands of people in the greater Georgetown area each year,” said Suzan Brown, Assistance League of Georgetown Area President. “It’s an honor to be recognized in this way by the city and our mayor. We are proud of our twenty-year history and look forward to growing with the great community of Georgetown in the years ahead.”
HISTORY OF Assistance League of Georgetown Area
Assistance League of Georgetown Area received its guild status in 1998 and was chartered in July 2001, the 108th chapter of Assistance League. The 100-percent volunteer-based organization is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs. Its philanthropies are hands-on, designed for high engagement and local impact. The New Friends program was initiated in 1998 when Assistance League volunteers began hosting monthly birthday and holiday parties for residents of the Special Care Unit of Wesleyan at Scenic in Georgetown. Currently, this program is held at The Reserve, a local memory care facility. While the program is now on hiatus due to COVID-19, the plan is to reinstate the program as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. Upon receiving chapter status in July 2001, the Operation School Bell program was adopted from the national organization. Executed in partnership with the Walmart Super Center, this program provides children in the Georgetown, Florence and Jarrell Independent School Districts with new school clothing and shoes to improve their self-esteem, promote learning, and encourage regular attendance. Qualified students are selected by school counselors and teachers from the recipients of the Federal free lunch program. In the past year, over 2,300 students were provided new clothes as we continue to put smiles on little faces and encourage them to stay in school.
Also started in 2001, the Reading and More program now provides reading mentors for second-grade students in the Jarrell, Igo and Florence Elementary Schools. Beyond mentoring almost 200 students, this year the program paid for approximately 1,800 books to add to the student libraries – helping almost 1,500-second graders advance their reading skills. In 2014 the local Chapter added the Scholarship Program to aid graduating seniors from Georgetown, East View, Jarrell, Florence, and Richarte High Schools continue their education. Since its inception, the Chapter has given out over $250,000 in scholarships to 46 very deserving Seniors.
Assistance League of Georgetown Area launched the Assist A Teacher program in August 2016. In Assist A Teacher, the group provides first-time, first-year elementary school teachers with supplies to enhance their new classroom. This year we were able to support 38 new teachers in this unique way.
Since 2002, the organization’s nerve center and primary source of funds is the Thrift Shop, currently located in the Republic Square Shopping Center. It’s here where, each year, hundreds of loyal customers purchase almost $300,000 worth of merchandise, all hand-processed by the bulk of the chapter’s 150 volunteers. In total, Assistance League Georgetown Area volunteers donated almost 18,000 hours of time in the past twelve months.
From humble beginnings back in 1998, Assistance League of Georgetown has grown to become one of the most consistent and highly respected all-volunteer philanthropic organizations in the community. The group is proud to represent the best of Georgetown – “Common Cares in an Uncommon Community” - and stands ready to do so in the exciting years ahead as we “transform lives, strengthen communities.”
ABOUT Assistance League is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to putting caring and commitment into action. Working closely with staff from the area school districts, Assistance League of Georgetown Area volunteers provide much-needed school clothing to local at-risk students, scholarships to graduating seniors, support to new teachers, and one-on-one literacy support to elementary school children. During the last fiscal year, Assistance League of Georgetown Area provided 2,260 Georgetown area students with new school clothing and shoes, donated 3,660 books to local elementary schools, awarded $60,000 on scholarships to area high school seniors, and provided 21 first year elementary school teachers with financial assistance to help them set up their classrooms for the new school year.
For more information on Assistance League of Georgetown Area: contactus@algeorgetownarea.org
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