News & Events

What’s Happening at the Bargain Box!

Welcome Shoppers! 

Thank you for visiting the Bargain Box Thrift Shop.  We are open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and most Saturdays.  Be sure to review our hours of operation, holiday dates, and guidelines for donations.  The store is staffed entirely by members who are volunteers.

We regularly have themed special sales and events like this one held before Valentine’s Day.

The store is open year-round and provides a continuing source of income for Assistance League of Flintridge’s philanthropic programs.  Proceeds from the sale of donated gently used clothing and household items directly support programs in the foothill community.

The Bargain Box is pleased to announce our new Holiday Hutch!  This area tucked in the back of the store will have holiday decor and specialty items that will pop-up throughout the year, not just during the time that you would expect.  Check it out.  Of course, we will continue to hold our regularly-scheduled special sales and events.

ALF Summer School 2024

For over 40 years, ALF Summer School has offered a variety of enrichment classes with fun activities and hands-on learning at one of the LCUSD elementary schools.  This year, the program will be held on the campus of Palm Crest Elementary and the session dates are June 17 – July 12, 2024.  Classes are now available for viewing.  Registration opened Monday, March 11, 2024 at 12 Noon.

We hope you will be able to join us this year!  

ALFie Company to Perform “Shrek the Musical JR.”

ALFie Company presented a special junior adaptation of Dreamworks “Shrek” on Friday, March 8th.  This Assistance League of Flintridge Drama presentation was based on the popular animated movie.  Twenty-two actors performed across the stage at Lanterman Auditorium which was transformed into an ogre swamp, a dragon’s lair, and Lord Farquaad’s castle.

Everyone enjoyed watching the heartwarming story unfold as Shrek and Donkey journey to rescue Princess Fiona where she is being held captive by Dragon.  When they return to meet with Lord Farquaad, things are not as they seem and Fiona must reevaluate her fantasy idea of what it means to have “one true love.“  This story is filled with adventure, plenty of humor and the zany characters you have come to know and love.  This production of “Shrek the Musical JR.” reminds you that anyone can find love, even ogres.

The cast of 5th and 6th grade students from the local community performed under the direction of ALF Drama Director, Katelyn Fike.  Tristan Waldron is Assistant Director.  Nancy Abbott, Musical Director, assisted with the vocal numbers and piano accompaniment.  Lanterman Auditorium is located at 4491 Cornishon Avenue, La Cañada Flintridge.  Admission is free.  For more information, contact programs@alflintridge.org or (818)790-2211.

Assisteens are Strengthening Community

Assisteens is an auxiliary of Assistance League of Flintridge that encourages and provides volunteer opportunities for young people in Grades 7 through 12. The goals are to develop a sense of both community and personal responsibility, self-reliance, public speaking and leadership skills. Assisteens raise money in a variety of ways to fund ongoing Assistance League philanthropic programs that benefit their community.

For the 2023-2024 season, Assisteens are meeting on Monday evenings, once a month as well as staffing the Bargain Box Thrift Shop on Saturdays.  The program has begun and students are busy working on their projects.

Keeping the Beat with ALF Instrumental Music

Since 1985, Assistance League of Flintridge has administered an Instrumental Music program during the school year for students in grades 4 through 6. Classes for the 2023-2024 season are currently being held at the three La Cañada Unified School District elementary schools and at ALF.  Students receive one hour per week of instruction in an ensemble setting supplemented by off-campus “sectionals” and extra practices.  Two concerts are held for band and string students in the winter and spring.  Look for an announcement about ALF Instrumental Music coming soon.

Bargain Box at the Lanterman House

On Sunday, May 28, Bargain Box Thrift Shop participated in the “Summer Picnic & Ukulele Rendezvous” with the Lanterman Docent Council, other nonprofit organizations, and local artisans   ALF volunteers staffed a vintage table and spent the afternoon engaged with community members on the beautiful grounds.  Proceeds from the sale of vintage merchandise directly benefited Assistance League of Flintridge community programs.

Happy Memorial Day

On Monday, May 29, Assistance League of Flintridge participated in the annual Fiesta Days Parade.  ALF members had so much fun!  A big thank you to everyone who cheered us on and for the community for supporting the Bargain Box Thrift Shop.

ALF Invites Membership in “ALFie Lites”

Assistance League of Flintridge recently announced a newly created “Community Volunteer” category designed for those who want to volunteer with ALF but without the responsibilities of full membership.  Applications are actively being taken.  ALF has been a part of the La Cañada Flintridge community since 1954 and currently has more than 200 members in all membership categories.  However, ALF realizes there are many people in the community who would like to volunteer time with ALF but have family or work obligations that prevent them from joining.  ALF wants to offer an opportunity to such individuals.  The new category is designed to include adults who would like to staff the Bargain Box for a limited number of hours each year.  The new membership category is affectionately known as “ALFie Lites.”  ALFie Lite members would commit to a minimum of five Bargain Box staffing days a year (each staffing is 3.5 hours), would need to be fingerprinted, receive a brief orientation and Bargain Box training.  There is no further requirement to attend meetings, be on a committee or pay dues.  Anyone interested in joining ALFie Lites should call the Chapter House at (818)790-1328 or email info@alflintridge.org.

Students Awarded Mary Ellen Hillgren Scholarships

The Mary Ellen Hillgren Memorial Scholarship, administered by Assistance League of Flintridge, was established in 1995 in memory of and tribute to a prominent and dedicated member of the La Cañada Flintridge community. Mrs. Hillgren believed in the public education system and she wished to encourage the accomplishments of students whenever possible. Every year, Assistance League of Flintridge awards MEH Scholarships to La Cañada High School seniors who will be attending a four-year college or university in the fall.  A committee of ALF members reviews the applications and selects the recipients, based on academic achievement, character, extra-curricular activities and community service.  The names of the recipients are engraved on a perpetual plaque that is displayed in the trophy case at the high school.

Look for the 2024 MEH Scholarship information shortly.

2022 MEH Scholarship recipients, Kamran Samudrala & Isabel Anderson with Scholarship committee member, Lori Rotenberg (left)

CAP Awards Scholarship

Since 2001, the Cañada Auxiliary of Professionals has offered scholarships to further the education of students within La Cañada Flintridge and adjacent cities.  Applicants for CAP Scholarships must attend a school in or around La Cañada Flintridge and plan to attend a two-year college or an accredited occupational program.  Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of merit with consideration given to career goals, achievements, community service and/or school involvement, and character.

2024 CAP Scholarship is now available!

2023 CAP Scholarship recipient, Nicholas Kahdian with his family

Members Share at the Phil Faire

During a meeting of the membership, Assistance League of Flintridge members had the opportunity to learn more about philanthropic programs at the annual “Phil Faire.”  Each of the chairmen representing Drama, Instrumental Music, Summer School, Operation School Bell, ALF in Action and Assisteens with their committees reached out to attendees and demonstrated what they do in their positions during the year.  Members were able to sign-up right away for the jobs that appealed to them in addition to volunteering for shifts in the Bargain Box Thrift Shop.

Operation School Bell was Strong During COVID Shutdowns
During 2020 – 2021, Operation School Bell was able to purchase Chromebooks and “hot spots” for La Cañada Unified School District students as well as students at Learning Works Charter School in Pasadena, many of which did not have an internet connection at their place of residence.  For those who participated in the Friends in Deed food program with their families, OSB provided students with backpacks, school supplies, masks and hand sanitizer.  We also assembled over 1,200 hygiene kits each year and passed them to Pasadena Unified School District students.  Additionally, Hillside School and Learning Center of La Cañada Flintridge was the recipient of laptops for their classrooms and textbooks to replace their outdated books. Finally, we were able to continue our shoe program, providing shoes to every student in the Learning Works program for both 2020 and 2021. 
 
Adhering to pandemic protocols was difficult as the OSB committee wasn’t able to be in-person with the students we serve.  However, we discovered that it caused us to re-think how we do things.  It allowed us redirect our energies in ways we would not have otherwise had the opportunity to explore, in order to serve the greatest number of students in need.
Assisteens Give to Dog Therapy Program

Early in 2020, Assisteens were inspired and voted to support the Amerman Family Foundation dog therapy program at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.  Assisteens purchased 137 embroidered, lightweight jackets using funds earned while working in the Bargain Box Thrift Shop.  The jackets were delivered to the hospital for volunteers to wear during their therapy sessions. Assisteens are pleased to support such a worthwhile program.

In Tune with Music 

Drive-up services have been used for many years for many things, but Assistance League of Flintridge’s Instrumental Music program added a new twist to this experience during the pandemic: Drive-Up Tuning for string instruments. ALF made many modifications to its program due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Since the tuning process requires a specific skill set and students are not equipped to do it themselves, ALF devised Drive-Up Tuning sessions to meet this challenge.  String Instructors, Sahak Karapetyan and Ripsi Yepremyan perfected the parking lot tuning process using the outside space at ALF.  No one needed to leave their car; they just popped the trunk, removed the instrument, carefully tuned it, then returned it to the trunk.  Students and their family members quickly realized and appreciated the difference a well-tuned instrument makes ~ a much more enjoyable experience for everyone!

Instrumental Music was pleased to return to in-person classes for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons.  “Stay tuned” for an announcement this summer about registration for the upcoming fall program for 4th, 5th and 6th grade students.