For 25 years, members of the Assistance League of Dallas have quietly been volunteering. Whether they are giving teddy bears to abused children or helping the elderly sell crafts, these 160 women have made an impact in our community.

“Our motto is ‘All for Service and Service for All’,” says Jane Williams, a neighborhood resident who is president of the league.

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“Our work is so rewarding, and we receive far more than what we are ever able to give.”

Other neighborhood residents who are members are Jean Boyle, Pat DeWees, Marianne Easterling, Wanda Neill, Dot Prince, Sue Sullivan, Diana Yarbrough, Lois Couch, Carolyn Knight and Jean Taylor.

Last year, Assistance League volunteers contributed more than 34,000 hours to five projects.

Cheers for Children is the League’s longest-running program. It started in 1967, when members of the organization volunteered at Children’s Medical Center under another name.

“Assistance League volunteers provide something a child can look forward to,” says Lynda Fitzpatrick, volunteer coordinator at Children’s Medical Center.

“A visit from the Craft Cart can be the brightest spot in a child’s day.”

Hundreds of children are touched by the generosity of the league when they receive ALD-O Bears from police and fire departments and family crisis centers. The league donates bears for children suffering trauma. After the earthquake in Southern California, the group donated 200 bears to Los Angeles rescue centers.

Members also tutor students at Withers Elementary School and work at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, an agency that supports victims of child abuse. The volunteers provide craft projects and play with the children while they wait for counseling appointments.

Betsy Myers, volunteer coordinator for the center, recently nominated the group for the 1994 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award.

Another league project is Prime Time Treasures, a nonprofit craft store staffed by league volunteers. Senior citizens supplement their incomes by selling original art work and crafts at the store. Last year, 374 seniors earned more than $125,000 through Prime Time Treasures.

Assistance League members sponsor two annual fund-raising events for their projects. The Antique Seminar is a lecture and luncheon held each fall for antique enthusiasts. In honor of the League’s silver anniversary, the topic of the 1994 seminar is the development of silver. Jennifer Goldsborough, chief curator of Maryland Historical Society, will speak Nov. 9 at the Grand Kempinski. Tickets will be available through the League.