Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan
            Clothe Feed Educate Comfort
  • Nonprofit, 501(c)(3), volunteer organization, est. 1993
  • Serving Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties
  • Helping over 23,000 infants, children, & adults year round
_______________________________________________________                  
To  visit our website or view our video:  www.semich.AssistanceLeague.org
August 2017
Local families and students to benefit from generosity of Clarkston-based foundation
Assistance League ® of Southeastern Michigan received a $15,000 grant from the David W. Elliott Memorial Foundation. The funds will support three Assistance League philanthropic programs: Assault Survivor Kits ®, Link to Creative Teaching and Operation School Bell ®. All programs serve local families and students by clothing, feeding, educating and comforting people in need.
The donation was presented to Assistance League by Cheryl Gambaro, a board member of the Elliott Memorial Foundation.
David W. Elliott was a long-time resident of Rochester, Michigan, until his death in 2011. As part of his estate plan, a foundation was established in 2015 to support charitable projects. Since its formation, the foundation has donated more than $200,000 to a wide range of charities. 
"It is touching that Mr. Elliott established a long-lasting legacy to continue serving his community," said Rosemary Dirksen Assistance League president. "We are honored to carry forward his generosity."
The Assistance League programs benefitting from foundation support are:
  • Assault Survivor Kits®- Provides personal kits for children and adult survivors of abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence whose clothing was destroyed by a perpetrator or retained by police for evidence. Kits contain a new top, pants, underwear, socks/flip-flops, toiletries, and a stuffed animal for children. Since 1994, 16,435 survivors benefitted. In 2016-17 FY, 1,261 survivors received kits at 46 trauma centers.
  • Link to Creative Teaching - Provides enrichment project opportunities, not funded by school districts, to teachers to expand student learning in reading, math, science, technology, arts, and behavioral modification. Since its formation in 2002, 51,787 students have benefitted. In 2016-17 FY, 3,869 students were impacted by 30 projects. 
  • Operation School Bell® - Provides new school clothing and/or necessities for elementary and middle school students. For some students, a new coat or clothing may be the first they can call their own.  Items are also distributed to children through local nonprofit agencies. Since 1995, 38,345 local students have benefitted from the clothing distributions with the aim of improving self-esteem and school attendance. In 2016-17 FY, 4,502 students were recipients at 14 distributions.

Rosemary Dirksen (left), president of Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan, 
and Barb Bakker (right), Assistance League grant committee member, 
gratefully accept a $15,000 donation from Cheryl Gambaro (center), 
board member of the David W. Elliott Foundation.

Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan, founded in 1993 and serving Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, is a nonprofit, all-member volunteer organization whose mission is to clothe, feed, educate and comfort children and adults through community-based programs. With no paid staff, funds raised from the Assistance League ReSale Connection and contributors are returned back to local Michigan communities, helping those in need.  For more information, please visit ReSale Connection, 204 S Main Street, Rochester, MI, 48307  248-656-014 or visit website  www.semich.AssistanceLeague.org.