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. During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Assistance League provided 100 bags of food each week to students at Norcross Elementary in Gwinnett County and Dresden Elementary in Dekalb County.
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 $1.3 million in need-based scholarships to 773 college students.
Operation School Bell provides new clothing, uniforms, jackets, socks, belts, underwear, hygiene kits and shoes to elementary and middle school students in the Atlanta area. In the 2023-2024 school year, we provided a week’s worth of clothing and a new book to 4,195 students. Of those children, 1,279 (30%) were unhoused or fire victims. An additional 12,028 students received selected items of clothing, hygiene kits or food/gas cards for the family distributed through the school social workers.
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 $35,000.
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, 2024, Assistance League of Atlanta comforted 4,000 traumatized children through area hospitals and emergency services.
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, 2024, Assistance League of Atlanta brought comfort and dignity to more than 27,300 children and adults who are receiving treatment or short-term care at 11 social agencies.
Shepherd Center Patient Support supplies new clothing (T-shirts and 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. In the 2023 – 2024 fiscal year Assistance League of Atlanta supported 591 patients.
Wee Help assembles and delivers layette packages for newborns to Atlanta-area hospitals and clinics for mothers in need. Each package contains a gown, footed sleeper, onesie, hooded towel, diapers, wipes, socks and a hand-knitted cap. In the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, Wee Help delivered 1,200 layette packages.
