Submitted by Assistance League of Bellingham
Our membership is composed of volunteers who have found in Assistance League of Bellingham, an organization that nurtures their talents, teaches new skills, and opens the door for friendships. Above all, taking care of others is the most rewarding gift of taking care of yourself.
With the election of new or continuing officers, it was important to reflect on the past year and how COVID, like many organizations, affected our organization.
We had to close our Thrift & Gift Shop for several months, and then limit the reopening to just three days a week. This resulted in a substantial reduction of one of our major sources of income.
On a positive note, expectation met reality in that during our 40 years of service, the foundation of our philanthropic programs is firmly entrenched in our organization and community. During this past year, the creativity and hard work of our members introduced a new program, Books and Beyond.
In June of 2022, at the beginning of our new fiscal year, we were revitalized and optimistic that our services and our thrift store would be able to meet our goals of serving the Whatcom County community.
Reality hobbled our expectations — COVID was not through with us yet. In July 2022, due to several of our members contracting COVID, the decision was made to temporarily close our store. The well-being of our members and our customers was our major concern. The reality is again not only the present threat of COVID but the loss of revenue.
We are a creative, tenacious organization. We adapted to reality:
- The Fall Fashion Event has been moved to Spring 2023.
- Our volunteer members are busy in their homes making wonderful gifts for our November 5th Yule Boutique.
- Our Operation School Bell® program is on schedule and previously funded.
- Our many other community programs continue to operate as allowed by the availability of our members.
Beyond the successful offering of our programs through this period is the reality that nothing remains static. The strength of our organization grounded in its mission, the generous community donors and the commitment of our volunteers will allow us to adjust when necessary.
We thank the community for their support and look forward to the coming months ahead.
To learn more about Assistance League of Bellingham, please visit us at assistanceleague.org/bellingham.
