Article courtesy of the Almaden Times
[Gallery]
Saved by the bell
Assistance League and President Karen Bode commended by city
By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer
Most kids dread donning school uniforms after a summer of shorts and tanks. But for others who received new uniforms last week, it might as well have been Christmas.
This year, 2,200 disadvantaged children will receive new clothing, shoes, backpacks, and literacy programs, as well as health and hygiene kits, thanks to Operation School Bell, a signature program under the auspices of Assistance League, and its mission to provide children in need with clothes and supplies as they head back to school.
“First we measure their waists and try to find the right sizes for them to try on,” explained public relations representative Joyce Hughes. “Then we go back and package two pants and two shirts for them and they can take them home this afternoon or tomorrow. So we donate 4,400 uniforms to 2,200 kids. It’s just wonderful to see what happens and how excited the kids get.”
The San Jose Chapter started their season off at Olinder Elementary School. And before these women are done, they will have done the same for 10 more schools in the Franklin McKinley District and 15 schools in San Jose Unified.
With a budget this year of $50,000, it’s a far cry from the 50 uniforms they handed out for the first time 11 years ago. And it’s only a small piece of the national pie that clothed more than 160,000 children last year alone—more than one million during its 15-year run. This year, 110 chapters in 26 states participated in a national distribution day on Sept. 14, with one goal in mind—to help kids not only feel better about themselves, but about attending and staying in school. That assessment is solidly based on studies that have shown that children who attend school inappropriately dressed are at a disadvantage and that appropriate school clothing can improve school attendance and help classroom performance. It’s a small way members say to help children arrive in the classroom better prepared to learn.
“The unfortunate reality is that there are thousands of children who attend school without underclothes, or who go to school without a jacket and wear sandals in the middle of a cold winter,” said Suzanne Hurlbut, National President of Assistance League. “Tears and awe shine from a child’s face when presented with a warm jacket or a “very own” toothbrush.”
With numbers like those, it’s no wonder the San Jose City Council jumped at the chance to not only honor Assistance League of San Jose with a commendation, but to also give a nod to one of its own. Karen Bode, a former Simonds Elementary School teacher who, for the past three years has been the event Chairman for San Jose.
Both Bode and the local chapter were lauded for efforts that helped serve 1,500 student sin 2004, 2,200 in 2005 in San Jose and Franklin McKinley School Districts, under the realization that proper care and learning materials help children feel better about themselves, improve their school attendance, and increase their classroom performance.
“Whereas Karen invested hundreds of Assistance League service hours each year and provided strong enthusiastic leadership and educational opportunities to Assistance League members,” read Pyle. “And whereas Karen identified a community need and showed the perseverance and dedication to find a solution, which will decrease problems such as poverty, illiteracy, drug abuse, and crime … Now therefore Ron Gonzales, Mayor of San Jose, together with Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez, myself and my colleagues on the City Council on this 14th day of September, 2005 do hereby recognize and commend Karen Bode for commitment for service in the needs of the children of San Jose.”
“Karen’s been the Chairman for the past three years,” said Chapter President Maureen Noel. “We only have 51 active members, but we’ve really seen a big increase under her leadership. And it keeps growing.”
In a second commendation, Pyle applauded the local chapters for being “100 percent volunteer and managed by dedicated members who develop, fund, and staff philanthropic projects that have been identified after conducting community needs assessments.”
Run the numbers coast to coast and they get even more impressive—with 24,000 Assistance League members operating 110 chapters in 26 states and dedicating more than 2 million volunteer hours toward providing vital services to their immediate communities.
It’s a ripple effect that last year steered $26 million back into communities through projects like Operation School Bell and others, including literacy, family support, and cultural enrichment programs, as well as senior services, dental, hearing, sight, and speech centers. It’s grass-roots fundraising at its best, where the lion’s share of operating expenses come from member dues, grants, and other contributions that filter right back into the local communities to support each chapter’s community projects.
An additional 3,800 children and seniors benefit each year from programs that offer everything from vision screening for pre-kindergarteners to recreational activities for seniors. For third graders, “Kids on the Block” offers an international award-winning puppet show program which is offered free of charge to local schools that focuses on the critical issue of bullying and how to prevent it. And in one of the league’s more popular programs among city and county agencies, Hug-A-Bear is a cooperative program with city and county agencies. The chapter provides bears, which are used to ease the trauma of accident and abuse.
Established in Los Angeles in the early 1900s, Assistance League was the first nonprofit, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization begun in the West to recognize the potential of volunteers in helping those less fortunate to live better, more meaningful lives. The national nonprofit organization is dedicated to putting caring and commitment into action through community-based philanthropic projects.
For more information, visit www.sanjose.assistanceleague.org.
