Assistance League of the Eastside Programs
Operation School Bell® provides new clothing to students in need selected by school personnel in the Lake Washington, Bellevue and Northshore districts. At the heart of the program is Assistance League® of the Eastside’s firm belief that new clothing helps increase students’ self-esteem and school performance which contributes to a successful school experience.
Assault Survivor Kits® help to restore dignity to survivors of sexual assault by providing new clothing to replace items retained as evidence by law enforcement officers. Assistance League® of the Eastside prepares and delivers the kits to hospitals throughout Washington where they are distributed by emergency room staff.
Starting Over Support assists individuals and families fleeing domestic violence by providing baskets of basic household items enabling them to begin new lives in safe violence-free housing. Assistance League® of the Eastside prepares and sends the baskets to domestic violence emergency shelters.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Operation School Bell® provides new clothing to students in need selected by school personnel in the Lake Washington, Bellevue and Northshore districts. At the heart of the program is Assistance League of the Eastside’s firm belief that new clothing helps increase students’ self-esteem and contributes to a successful school experience.
Annually in October and February, our members team up with community volunteers at three local Fred Meyer stores to supervise students in selecting school-appropriate clothes, coats, shoes, underwear, and pajamas. Elementary students receive $100 and middle school/junior high students receive $120 in merchandise paid for by Assistance League of the Eastside. In addition, at the checkout register, each student receives a dental hygiene kit and a hat or scarf lovingly handmade by our volunteers. Since the inception of Operation School Bell on the Eastside in 1992, we have served over 26,000 students and returned over $2.8 million to our community and we constantly receive heart-felt thank you notes from parents, students and counselors in praise of our organization. Currently, we are able to help less than 50% of students eligible to receive free or reduced school lunches in the schools we serve, while the demand continues to grow in these and other schools, in our community. Increased funding of our Operation School Bell program is the only way to meet these growing needs.