Assistance League of the Klamath Basin

In Klamath Basin, the Operation School Bell program provides appropriate school clothing, shoes, winter hats, gloves and hygiene kits for K thru 12 students in need of assistance in purchasing clothing. The schools are located in the Klamath Falls City School District, Klamath County School District and the Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School District (located in California). As part of this program, in 2021-22, approximately 1,671 clothing certificates (worth $125.00 each) were issued to these schools for distribution to students on an as-needed basis. Each school is responsible for the selection of students to receive these clothing certificates. As part of this program, each of the eleven high schools received approximately two to three clothing certificates worth $125.00 each for graduating seniors needing financial assistance in purchasing appropriate graduation clothing which could also be used when applying for employment. Over 400 homeless students have been included as part of the Operation School Bell program. We worked closely with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program (MKV) liaisons assigned to city and county schools to make sure these students received clothing certificates. Another addition to Operation School Bell was students being mentored by Citizens for Safe Schools (CFSS), which totaled 43 students this year. CFSS is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create safe and drug free communities and children of good character. These students continued to attend K-12 schools throughout the Klamath Basin. We made sure these students received clothing certificates. Each year, Award Winning Books are distributed to all K-12 schools participating in our Operation School Bell Program. In addition, these books are given to the Klamath County Libraries. Each book has received an award either from The Newbery Medal, The Caldecott Medal, The Young Readers Choice Award the Pacific Northwest Library. In addition to the Operation School Program, a new program has been set up titled Children in Foster Care. This entails working with the local officials from Child Welfare, Oregon State Department of Human Services (DHS), involving children from infancy to 18 years of age who are removed from unsafe environments and placed into foster care. Our chapter issued 70 clothing certificates worth $135.00 each to DHS for use for these children. When children are removed from their homes, they have nothing or very little in the way of clothing. As part of this program, we have donated back packs, gym bags, hygiene items, socks, underwear, blankets, and stuffed toys. Also donated are school supplies for all children in the foster care program locally.

Project USA Program Our Chapter coordinates with elementary schools to paint or repaint maps of the United States of America on the school playgrounds. These maps are used for educational purposes. We provide special paint, paint brushes, rollers, misc. paint tools, and a large stencil outlining the map of the United States of America and the individual states. Painting is done by chapter volunteers, school staff, businesses, students and parents of students.