Knee Deep in Coats

The driver was kind enough
to cart the pallet to the front door
saving a ton of work

Jeff Cortopassi cuts the shrink wrap

Diane Kurtz and Jeff

Best laid plans...an Operation School Bell delivery with 94 boxes of coats, 12 to a box, was expected to arrive late morning/early afternoon on Wednesday, August 24 to coincide with the first chapter meeting of the year. Linda Gonnella and Linda Legner rushed over to the OSB storage site after the meeting along with several members who volunteered to help.

Seven hours later, they were still waiting when the call finally came for a 6 p.m. delivery.  The crew arrived to unload - Diane Kurtz, Sally Rozak, Diane Mrozek and Marianne Cortopassi who brought the muscle - husband Jeff and brother-in-laws Dennis and Kirk, visitors from Northern California.

Any men - husbands, sons, brothers etc. - who want to help with heavy lifting, are more than welcome.
Thanks to everyone's assistance, the whole truckload was down the stairs, rough sorted and counted in an hour.

Diane and Jeff made an efficient pair

Dennis Cortopassi 

Kirk Cortopassi

Thanks Boys

Linda Gonnella and Linda Legner after a long day

Linda checks the shipment

First Meeting of the 2011-12 Year

Linda Gonnella
Diane Mrozek and Usha Swamy

Linda Legner hands out ALCW buttons to Carol Yee
and Pat Mrozek

There was a lot of catching up at the first ALCW of the 2011-12 year, both social and business. Here are some candid shots of members in action.

Ricki Lessig, Heather Laughman and Usha Swamy 

Diane Kurtz

Marianne Cortopassi, Carla Feinkind, Nancy Newell
and Ricki Lessig with new member Mary Kay Shukis
in the foreground

Operation Early Reading - Ready for Delivery

Sally Rozak, Karen Michalczyk,
Maria Kim and Carol Yee 

Co-Chairs Carol Yee and Phyllis Young led a fun work session on Wednesday, August 17 as members filled the newly-cleaned Operation Early Reading backpacks with books and crayons for the new school year. OER is serving 756 preschool and early elementary school children this year. 

Betty Cronin pitching in to help

Karen, who transferred over the the St. Louis
Assistance League chapter, has been
actively involved in programs since
moving here earlier in the summer

Carol and Sally

Maria turned over her co-chair duties to Phyllis
this year