2023 End-of-the-Year Appeal
As 2023 is coming to a close, I cannot help but look back and reflect…
Do you know the main regrets people have as life goes forward?
“I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
“I wish I hadn't worked so hard.”
“I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.”
“I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
“I wish I had let myself be happier.”
Do not add to your list…
6) “I wish I had given to the Alliance Française de St. Louis End of the Year Appeal”!
Since becoming director in 2009, I have insisted that the Alliance Française de St. Louis remain steadfast to the practice of holding one and only one fundraiser a year. 2023 will be no exception; we have set a $32,000 goal.
To those of you who pay for classes and renew your memberships on time, make an End-Of-The-Year donation to your AFSTL, or have already given generously earlier this year, thank you!
It would be my wish that every board member, member, student, teacher, and staff member would contribute. It is not how much you give but that you care enough to give!!! No contribution is ever too small (nor too big!!!); it all makes a difference.
Thank you in advance for your generous contributions.
Isabelle
Executive Director
Alliance Française de St. Louis
Have you ever thought about adding the AFSTL to your charitable bequests?
The Alliance Française de St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) organization, ALL contributions are tax deductible.
What does the Alliance Française de St. Louis offer you and the community?
Group and private classes at ALL levels, from babies to the “more mature” crowd
Free monthly book clubs, events, from the sublime: conferences on art (Van Gogh, Sep. 29), visit to the oldest church in our area (Holy Catholic Church Cahokia Mounds, Oct. 8) to the ridiculous (Karaoke Night, Jun. 21 (Fête de la musique). We also co-host events with cultural partners (La Société Française de St. Louis, Webster University, La Patisserie, etc.) and celebrate French holidays with other organizations.
Libraries!!! 6000 volumes of (non)fiction, DVDs, CDs, cookbooks, and children’s books
Translations for immigrants’ families, not-for-profit organizations, and new parents
Tours of our city through Discover St. Louis
What have we done with your past donations?
We have raised our teachers’ salaries and awarded them bonuses every year.
We have bought and paid for a building, repainted it, faced a large water-main repair, planted and maintained a garden, remodeled the inside of our building, installed energy efficient blinds, built a kitchen, replaced our water heater and air conditioners, gotten rid of two unsightly structural poles in our Grande Salle, welcomed a baby grand piano for future musical events, bought a new screen and video projector as well as a flock of (four) Owls to enable simultaneous in-person and Zoom classes, replaced several office chairs, computers, a Wi-Fi router, and printer, weathered a pandemic and the fifteen-month closing of our building, added original artworks to our garden and walls, and resurfaced and striped our parking lot.
All of the above has only been possible because of your extraordinary generosity. Thank you!
What are we planning for 2024?
Raising our staff salaries and bi-yearly bonus program, and offering our employees educational training and opportunities,
Opening new classes and workshops (travel, phonetics, cooking/baking, cultural etc.),
Offering new monthly events and activities (game nights, pétanque, movies, etc.),
Replacing the faded banners on either side of our parking lot,
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Alliance Française de St. Louis language school,
Inviting internationally-recognized French artist Christian Guémy to return to St. Louis,
Commemorating the D-Day Landing 80 years ago in Normandy,
Celebrating the Olympics with France, minus les punaises de lit (bed bugs), and swimming in the Seine.
See you at the Alliance!
