The Backpack Buddies program provides food for students who might otherwise lack meals over the weekend. Children in need, take home a backpack of healthy meals and snacks from school on Friday and return on Monday mornings fed and ready to learn. In the 2019-20 school year, the first year of the program, Assistance League of Atlanta provided 30 children with 1,050 bags of food over a period of 30 weeks.
Links to Education provides scholarships to deserving college students pursuing post-secondary education at Georgia institutions of higher learning. Since 2003, Assistance League of Atlanta’s Links to Education program has awarded $924,000 in need-based scholarships to 543 college students.
Operation School Bell provides new clothing, uniforms, jackets, socks, underwear, health kits and shoes to elementary and middle school students in the Atlanta area. During the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, Assistance League of Atlanta served more than 10,000 children in 235 schools. Approximately 1,800 of these children were homeless or fire victims.
Waste Not donates items that cannot be sold in our Attic Treasures thrift shop or used by our philanthropic programs to other charities and social agencies. The program provides donated clothing, shoes, housewares, linens, baby items, medical equipment and toiletries for those in crisis. In the last fiscal year, Waste Not donated goods worth approximately $50,000.
Bears for Children provides new, child-safe cuddly teddy bears to comfort frightened children during crisis situations and hospital stays. During the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, Assistance League of Atlanta comforted 5,960 traumatized children through hospitals, police stations and fire departments.
New Beginnings provides new household goods, clothing and personal care items to those affected by homelessness, abuse and domestic violence. During the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, Assistance League of Atlanta brought comfort and dignity to more than 32,000 children and adults who are receiving treatment or short-term care at eight social agencies.
Shepherd Center Patient Support supplies new clothing (T-shirts and tear-a-way pants) appropriate for physical therapy to aid injured patients in their recovery. Assistance League of Atlanta also helps patients, many of whom are far from home, celebrate birthdays with gifts of lightweight backpacks that fit on wheelchairs. Assistance League served over 290 patients this past fiscal year.
Wee Help assembles and delivers layettes for newborns to Atlanta-area hospitals for mothers in need. Each layette contains a gown, sleeper, diapers, wipes, blanket, towel, socks, and a hand-knitted cap. In the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, Wee Help delivered 880 layettes to mothers in Atlanta-area hospitals and clinics.
