Category: Programs

Operation School Bell® Week - September 14 to 20, 2014

9/17/2014

Operation School Bell®, the largest of Assistance League® of Indianapolis’ philanthropic programs has been recognized by Mayor Greg Ballard with a Mayoral Proclamation naming this week, September 14th - 20th as Operation School Bell Week. This distinguished award acknowledges the 31st consecutive year that the program has helped children in the Indianapolis community and for expanding the Program to support clothing needs in the school setting through Beyond the Bell.

The Assistance League of Indianapolis was established in 1984 and is an all member-volunteer nonprofit organization. The organization manages several philanthropic programs throughout Indianapolis and central Indiana, including their largest program, Operation School Bell®. Operation School Bell provides students living in poverty an opportunity to remove some of the barriers that block their way to academic success. This program provides new clothing and school supplies to qualifying elementary school students from Indianapolis Public Schools and the surrounding Indianapolis area townships of Lawrence, Pike, Warren, and Washington.

Shoes: A Division of Operation School Bell supplies new athletic shoes and socks to students identified by social workers in all IPS elementary schools as well as the Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence, Pike, Warren, Washington, and Wayne Townships. Beyond the Bell: A Division of Operation School Bell provides bags of new school clothing to all IPS elementary schools served by Operation School Bell. It meets the need of students who are homeless, displaced or new to their school and are not otherwise served by Operation School Bell.

Other philanthropic programs of Assistance League of Indianapolis include ALI Bears which provides teddy bears to hospitals, hospice centers, and abuse management agencies; ALI Friends which provide companionship and activities for seniors and disabled adults at Joy’s House and North Capitol Rehabilitation/Nursing Home; and Assault Survivor Kits® which provide new clothing for victims of assault to wear when their clothing is retained as evidence of the crime.

Preparations in Full Swing for Operation School Bell® Opening Day

8/13/2014

Although preparations never really stop during the summer months, the Operation School Bell® shop officially opened its doors for set up on Monday, August 11. Assistance League® of Indianapolis member volunteers were busily stocking shelves and doing many tasks to ensure everything will be ready when opening day arrives on August 18.

It is expected that 3,400 under-served Indianapolis area students will participate in Operation School Bell during its 2014 – 2015 season. These children will be identified by elementary school social workers in the Indianapolis Public Schools and the surrounding Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence, Pike, Warren and Washington Townships.

Besides cleaning the shop, workers put bar codes on items, entered inventory into the computerized system, and stocked the shelves. Each student visiting Operation School Bell receives new clothing and supplies valued at an average of $115 including a duffle bag, two uniform outfits, a belt, socks, underwear, winter coat, hat/scarf/glove set, two books, hygiene kit, and school supplies.

Students who are served by this program enjoy the quality attention they receive during their one-to-one “shopping” experience with an Assistance League member volunteer. Receiving new clothes and supplies boosts confidence, attendance, and academic achievement.

To donate to Operation School Bell, Click Here.

Domestic Violence Awareness & Gift from TJX

5/13/2014

Assistance League® of Indianapolis was honored to receive a grant from the TJX Foundation to benefit the Assault Survivor Kit Program. Sandra Hubertz, Human Resources Generalist, from the TJX Companies, Inc. visited the Chapter Office to personally deliver a $5000 check. Carol Valentine, Chairman of Grants, and Jane Hoover, Co-chairman of Assault Survivor Kits, accepted this generous donation.

Often unreported, usually unpublicized, but always devastating - Domestic violence continues to be a growing concern in the Indianapolis area. Assistance League of Indianapolis supports the victims of assault by teaming with 21 area hospitals and 8 agencies in central Indiana to provide kits consisting of a sweatpants, sweat shirt, socks and underwear replacing the victim's clothes retained as evidence. Additional undergarments and hygiene items are also provided. Since the Program began in 1994, over 11,000 kits and over 12,800 undergarments had been distributed.

This year the Assault Survivor Kits program has delivered 150 kits and 318 undergarments to the Julian Center and Assistance League Volunteers have given out a total of 443 kits and 773 undergarments throughout the Indianapolis area.
The following are some comments that the Assault Survivor Kits Co-chairman Jane Williams and Jane Hoover received from directors of two of the agencies served:

"...providing clean clothes helps provide the patient with some dignity as they leave the emergency department."

"Victims appreciate the clothing items beyond compare. You are impacting their lives by saying to them, 'I may not have the opportunity to meet you, but I am reaching out to you because I care.' and indeed they feel the care and compassion you extend to them."

Commitment to fundraising and teamwork enables Assistance League of Indianapolis to continue to increase our support of the victims of domestic violence giving caring, comfort and assistance.

Gala Funds Raised Will Enable Caring and Commitment to Continue

4/3/2014

Attending the 2014 Star Gala will not just be enjoyable; member volunteers of Assistance League of Indianapolis and their guests will be gratified to know that the evening’s proceeds will benefit the organization’s philanthropic programs. Each year, funds raised from the Star Gala contribute an estimated 40% of the income needed to continue running the programs that provide assistance for underserved adults and children from the Indianapolis area.

Additionally, we completed the second full year of Beyond the Bell, a division of Operation School Bell, with 50 IPS elementary schools directly receiving clothing kits of new pants, polo shirts, socks, underwear and belts for immediate-need situations. This program was developed to help the many children who transfer into the districts after their schools visit Operation School Bell and they have no other means to obtain proper school clothing and others who face emergency situations of fire or domestic instability. In total, these kits contained over 7,900 clothing items, reaching an estimated additional 1,000 students.

Our three other programs Assault Survivor Kits ®, ALI Friends, and ALI Bears provide a special kind of comfort to those who receive these services. Assault Survivor Kits provide warm, comfortable, new clothing for victims of assault to wear home when their clothingis retained as evidence of the crime. Assault Survivor Kits are provided to 13 hospitals and agencies in the greater Indianapolis area. ALI Friends offer companionship and caring to enhance and improve the quality of life for older and disabled adults by organizing activities for guests or residents in two facilities: Joy's House, a not-for-profit adult day care center and North Capitol Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. ALI Bears provide comfort and a sense of peace to ill, traumatized or grieving children, teens, and adults by providing cuddly teddy bears assist in the healing process by filling empty arms with a friend to hug, love and care for. ALI Bears are delivered by Assistance League member volunteers to 16 area agencies such as hospitals, hospices, and family service centers.

Operation School Bell® is our largest philanthropic program thus our greatest need. The program provides clothing and shoes to students at or below the poverty level who are selected by the school social workers in their respective schools. We recently concluded the Operation School Bell clothing and shoe programs for the 2013-14 academic year with a budget of $378,700.

A total of 3,333 elementary students from IPS and the Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence, Pike, Warren and Washington visited our “shop” at the Service Center for IPS to receive new school clothing. Each student personally selected new winter outerwear, school uniforms, polo shirts, a sweatshirt, a belt, underwear and socks, hygiene items, school supply kits and reading books, all of which were packed in a roomy duffle bag to take home. Almost 50,000 items, packages or kits were distributed.

During October 2013 and February 2014, 2601 students from IPS and the Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence, Pike, Warren Washington and Wayne received new athletic shoes and two pairs of socks through our shoes program. In December, we distributed an additional 421 shoes and socks to students of IPS School 346 for a total of 3022 students receiving new shoes and socks under Shoes: A Division of Operation School Bell.

The 2014 Star Gala, Wish Upon a Star, will not only be an entertaining evening for all attending, but also a shining opportunity to enable Assistance League of Indianapolis to continue its caring and commitment to its philanthropic programs. It's not too late to make a reservation. Go to: www.stargala.alindy.org