When it comes to helping others, Marie Bossie doesn’t let anything stand in her way. Originally from Boston, she and her husband, Norman, moved to Maryland in 1981 when he accepted a job at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring. Bossie, a registered nurse, helped found Carroll Home Care and Carroll Hospice, where she served as executive director until her retirement in 2006.
Throughout her career, she was devoted to caring for others, and that remained the same even after she retired. So, when a neighbor approached her about joining Assistance League of the Chesapeake, Bossie decided to give it a shot.
“I wasn’t sure whether I was ready to get into something,” Bossie says. “But I went to a meeting and I was so impressed with the women and all that they were doing, so I joined.”
Assistance League, founded in 1919, is a national non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening communities through various hands-on programs. While the majority of the programs offered focus on children, they vary across each of the 120 chapters based on the needs of the surrounding communities.
Since joining ALC 12 years ago, Bossie has stayed busy, serving as the chapter president, vice-president of philanthropic programs, and strategic planning chair. Currently, she chairs the Kids In Need program which, through a partnership with Old Navy, provides new school uniforms to children at seven local Title 1 schools. When Bossie took over the program in 2012, ALC was giving out 350 uniforms a year. Last year, it distributed 2,500.
“The kids are just so happy when we come,” Bossie says. “They can’t wait for us to give them a new uniform. The teachers and counselors say the students feel better and more confident, and are more engaged in the classroom and extracurricular activities when they have new clothes. So, we love doing it.”
Bossie, a mother of four and grandmother of seven, admits that, as she’s gotten older, she’s considered cutting back on some of her charitable work. But, for the time being, her commitment to serving others remains unwavering, even after suffering a heart attack in the spring of 2018.
“I’ll be 80 soon, and I’ve thought that maybe it’s time for me to step away,” Bossie admits. “But then I think, ‘Well, I’m still healthy, so why not keep going?’”
After finishing her rehabilitation, Bossie immediately returned to volunteering. In addition to the Kids In Need program, she also contributes to ALC’s annual Make A Difference Day book drive, participates in ALC sing-alongs at various nursing homes and assisted living programs, and helps collect donations for Baltimore Washington Medical Center’s Stork’s Nest program. The Stork’s Nest program provides free prenatal support for at-risk pregnant women. She has held almost every position and chair in the ALC organization. She’s assisted with grant writing, helped coordinate auction items for the annual ALC gala, and frequently represents ALC at regional and national Assistance League conferences. Her commitment, enthusiasm, and hard work is the result of nothing more than her desire to help others.
“I think that overall [ALC] does great things, and we know it.” Bossie says. “We love what we do and that’s why we do it. We care so much and we’re committed.”
To learn more about Assistance League of the Chesapeake, visitAssistanceleague.org/chesapeake
