Every year on the last weekend in April, outstanding homes in Piedmont and Oakland open their doors for the Heart of the Home Tour.

The tour is the major fundraising event of the all-volunteer Children's Support League of the East Bay. Since its inception in 1986, this dedicated group of women has raised $2.2 million to benefit nonprofit agencies within Alameda and Contra Costa counties that offer relief to disadvantaged children.

There's little doubt the success of CSL rests in the hands of its members, three of whom were recently named Lifetime members — a relatively new award that honors significant contributions of outstanding members.

Mary Jean Haley, Nancy De Roche and Jan Howland, each with more than 10 years of service, are worthy examples of women who joined hoping to make a difference within their communities.

"It really is an honor to be named a lifetime member," said league board president Lee Eisman.

Oakland resident Mary Jean Haley joined in 1999 while volunteering at Head-Royce School, where her son was enrolled. "I was very aware that Head-Royce students were highly privileged and that there were children in our community who had nothing," she said.

Her organizational skills have been put to good use in her positions as president, secretary, membership chair, home coordinator, and, for the last two years, marketing.

As far as Haley is concerned, the rewards have equaled her efforts.

"The

Haley was completely surprised and touched by her recognition as a Lifetime member. "Everybody works so hard and brings so much to the organization," she said. "So to be honored by this group means a lot to me."

DeRoche, of Piedmont, joined in 1997, after learning that CSL had given a grant to one of the organizations that was helping her severely disabled son.

After serving for 12 years, De Roche's greatest contribution may be her staying power and she is proud that the league has recognized her years of service in naming her a Lifetime member. Her experience in staffing the annual homes tour with 200 volunteers is testimony that the event is truly a community effort.

"A great thing about the Heart of the Home Tour is that it involves so much of the community," DeRoche said. "I think it does as much for the community as it does for the charities."

Attaining important goals figures large in what DeRoche gets back from her participation. "You work really hard for a goal and then we sell a lot of tickets and make money and then we can give it away to really needy groups," she said.

Another inspiration is hearing the speakers from various charities that are invited to monthly meetings. "They help people in need and are often able to turn lives around," DeRoche said.

Howland was surprised and thrilled upon hearing she had been selected a lifetime member. Since joining in 1997, Howland, of Oakland, has applied her talents in organization and technology, leadership and communication to a full gamut of positions, from tour chair and board president to her present work in underwriting.

Instilled from a young age with the idea of giving back where you can, Howland's satisfaction comes in giving away the money raised by the league.

"The reward is when we see this dollar amount we have in the bank and grant it to a lot of agencies," she said. "Then we hear how much of a difference this money made in the lives of the children they're serving."

Howland encourages women from Alameda and Contra Costa counties to become members.

"We welcome anyone," she said.

The group meets once a month from fall through spring at the Piedmont Community Center and is seeking new members to help plan and organize the Heart of the Home Tour in April 2010. For more information, go to www.WeHelpKids.org or call 510-338-4521.