Assistance League of San Luis Obispo County

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE'S PHILANTHROPIC PROGRAM, OPERATION SCHOOL BELL, PROVIDES NEW SCHOOL APPROPRIATE CLOTING TO STUDENTS IN NEED, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADES IN ALL TEN (10) SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY. STUDENTS ARE REFERRED BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. SHELTERS WILL REFER FAMILIES TO THE CHILDREN'S SCHOOL FOR REFERRALS. CLOTHING APPOINTMENTS ARE SET AND STUDENTS ARE TREATED TO A RETAIL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE AT LOCAL RETAIL STORES. CLOTHING APPOINTMENTS BEGIN IN AUGUST AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR. KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE STUDENTS RECEIVE $120 IN SHOPPING CREDIT AND 6TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS RECEIVE $200 IN SHOPPING CREDIT. THE SHOPPING CREDIT IS USED STRICTLY FOR PURCHASING SCHOOL APPROPRIATE CLOTHING AND SHOES. RETAIL STORES HONOR OUR TAX-EXEMPT STATUS AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS. OUR MEMBER VOLUNTEERS SUPERVISE THE SHOPPING. WITH THE ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS, STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO PURCHASE UP TO $150 AND $250 WORTH OF SCHOOL CLOTHES, RESPECTIVELY. IN ADDITION, EACH STUDENT AND THEIR PRE-SCHOOL SIBLINGS ARE ABLE TO SELECT A BOOK OF HIS/HER CHOICE OF GRADE APPROPRIATE LITERATURE. EACH STUDENT RECEIVES A DENTAL KIT AS WELL AS A TOTE FILLED WITH GRADE APPROPRIATE SCHOOL SUPPLIES. ASSISTANCE LEAGUE COLLABORATES WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES TO ASSIST FAMILIES AND THEIR CHILDREN IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS e.g., ABUSE AND FIRES BY PROVIDING THE SERVICES OF OPERATION SCHOOL BELL. DURING THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR, 2,334 K-12 GRADE STUDENTS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY RECEIVED THE SERVICES OF OPERATION SCHOOL BELL. WE ALSO ASSISTED 36 AT-RISK STUDENTS, OR EMERGENCY CASES, REFERRED TO US THROUGH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. IN ADDITION, 18 STUDENTS RECEIVED THE SERVICES OF OPERATION SCHOOL BELL THROUGH A COLLABORATION ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE PASO ROBLES ROTARY CLUB AND THE INDEPENDENT GRAPE GROWERS PASO ROBLES AREA. IN ALL, 2,388 STUDENTS RECEIVED CLOTHING AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES THROUGH OPERATION SCHOOL BELL.