Gala Funds Raised Will Enable Caring and Commitment to Continue

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