Erin K. MacDonald was presented with Assistance League’s National Operation School Bell award at our recent Annual Meeting. This award is to “honor those in the community who, through significant financial, in-kind or service support, have had a direct, powerful and positive effect on Operation School Bell.” This is only the eighth time in Assistance League of […]

Assistance League of Bend distributed 392 new books at the Tower Theatre’s free screening of the film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, on May 12. The event benefitted students from Elk Meadow Elementary, a Title 1 school in Bend. The students were able to select age appropriate books based on their grade level. The […]

Assistance League of Bend has been making a difference in the lives of children and adults facing hardship in Deschutes County for 30 years! Past presidents, generous supporters and dedicated members gathered on May 2 to celebrate the impact of their work and the volunteers that make it happen. Charter member, Char Weichman, shared the […]

Assistance League of Bend’s Cinderella’s Closet is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout prom season (April 5 – May 6) so students can “shop” for their favorite dress. High school students in need throughout Deschutes County may borrow new and gently-used formal dresses and accessories so they can experience their high school proms. These beautiful […]

Assistance League of Bend is honored to have been chosen as a recipient of United Way of Deschutes County’s recent grant distribution. The generous funds will be used to provide clothing to local children living in poverty.

After being on hold due to the pandemic, Assistance League of Bend’s These Kids Are Cookin’ program has returned to two local Title 1-A elementary schools. During the after-school cooking class, low-income 4th and 5th graders learn basic cooking skills, kitchen safety, and nutrition. Yesterday, Assistance League of Bend members and volunteers introduced the importance […]

Through their Operation School Bell® program, Assistance League of Bend is providing new clothing to 950 local students this winter. Like the fall clothing campaign, students shop for new school clothes at the Redmond and Bend Walmart stores on designated shopping days. Assistance League of Bend partners with the Family Access Network advocates at each school to identify children […]

Assistance League of Bend will be providing free Scholastic books at the upcoming Tower Theatre’s Free Family Movie Night on Friday, May 12. Children from Elk Meadow Elementary School, a Title 1 school in Bend, will be given priority tickets to attend the free showing of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”. At the previous […]

Assistance League of Bend is immensely grateful to our friends at Les Schwab Tires for their recently awarded grant. Hundreds of children living in poverty will receive new clothes as a result of their ongoing generosity. These new clothes have been shown to elevate self-esteem, improve attendance, promote peer acceptance, foster learning, boost graduation rates, […]

Thanks to the generosity of the Central Oregon community, Assistance League of Bend received over $10,000 in donations through the Central Oregon Gives Campaign in November and December. This reflects a 20% increase over last year’s fundraising effort and exceeded our goal of $8,000. We are immensely grateful for everyone who donated to the campaign. […]

Through their Operation School Bell® program, Assistance League of Bend recently provided 42 clothing bundles to Every Child Central Oregon to distribute to children who are entering the foster care system or are being moved from one foster home to another. Children entering the foster care system are often taken from their homes very quickly with little […]

Assistance League® of Bend volunteers ensure that the holiday wishes of local seniors are fulfilled through the nonprofit’s annual Secret Santa program. Seniors at 18 long-term care facilities in Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters receive special holiday gifts, handpicked for them by their Secret Santa. Facility representatives speak with residents and obtain personalized gift […]

Assistance League of Bend is honored to be one of this year’s recipients of the Barbara Emily Knudson Charitable Foundation grant. The foundation exists to honor her philanthropic goals and vision, providing assistance to non-profit organizations and educational institutions assisting children, families and adults to realize their basic needs and to achieve excellence in their […]

This fall, we held Operation School Bell®, which provided over 1,700 vulnerable children with back-to-school clothes. In addition, we distributed new books to low-income students and loaned formal wear to high school girls so they could attend their homecoming dances. To support adults in need, we provided hygiene items to low-income seniors in 17 local long-term care facilities and comforted brave women […]

Assistance League of Bend provided new school clothing to 1,756 students in Deschutes County through Operation School Bell this fall. New clothes elevate self-esteem, promote peer acceptance, improve attendance, foster learning, boost graduation rates and inspire hope. The total cost to provide these clothes, coats and shoes was approximately $194,000. Assistance League of Bend is […]

WaFd Bank recently awarded a grant to Assistance League of Bend’s Operation School Bell program to provide new clothes, shoes, and coats to children in need throughout Deschutes County These new clothes elevate self-esteem, promote peer acceptance, improve attendance, foster learning, boost graduation rates, and inspire hope. Assistance League of Bend would like to sincerely […]

Assistance League of Bend is immensely grateful for the recently awarded grants from First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank, St. Charles Health System, Bank of America, Midstate Electric and Sisters Community Foundation. These generous donations will be used to support children and adults facing hardship throughout Deschutes County.

Assistance League of Bend participated in the 23rd anniversary of the Heaven Can Wait 5K Walk/ Run in Redmond, Oregon. They offered free knitted and sewn hats to cancer patients and “knitted knockers” prothesis to patients who have undergone a mastectomy. All of the items were handmade by local volunteers through Assistance League of Bend’s […]

Assistance League of Bend placed 12 back-to-back banners on six poles in Downtown Bend to promote Operation School Bell during their fall back-to-school campaign. To demonstrate the impact of Operation School Bell, each pole highlighted how new clothes effect local students. The six messages included: elevate self-esteem, improve attendance, inspire hope, foster learning, promote peer […]

Rising inflation costs are creating financial challenges for countless households across the country. Challenged by high food and fuel prices, many parents struggle with higher than normal back -to-school costs. Through their Operation School Bell®  program, Assistance League of Bend plans to provide clothes, coats and shoes to 10% more students in kindergarten through grade 12 […]

Assistance League of Bend provided over 300 free Scholastic books to children at the Family Movie Night event at the Tower Theatre on Friday, Sept. 23. This free event is in partnership with the Tower Theatre, Deschutes Public Library, and the Boys and Girls Club of Bend. Thanks to Assistance League of Bend’s Operation School […]

Assistance League of Bend would sincerely like to thank Pacific Source Health Plans for their recent grant to support our Senior Caring Program. Through this program, we provide personal care items to low-income seniors in 17 long-term care facilities throughout Deschutes County. Assistance League of Bend is grateful for our friends at Pacific Source Health […]

These students are ready for the big dance! They shopped at Assistance League of Bend’s Cinderella’s Closet where they were able to borrow from a selection of over 800 long and short dresses. They were also able to borrow stylish shoes, purses, and jewelry to make their homecoming dance a truly special event.

Rising inflation costs are creating financial challenges for countless households across the country. Challenged by high food and fuel prices, many parents may struggle with higher than normal back-to-school costs. This fall, Assistance League of Bend intends to provide back-to-school items to 10% more children versus last fall. This summer, we focused our planning efforts […]

During the spring, Assistance League of Bend activated numerous initiatives that assisted and served families in Deschutes County. In addition to providing new school clothes to students in need, we distributed books to low-income students to improve their reading skills and encourage a lifelong habit, we loaned formal wear to girls who might not otherwise […]

In August, Assistance League of Bend provided personal care items to seniors in need as part of their ongoing Senior Caring outreach. Hygiene items such as shampoo and lotion were delivered to 344 residents in 17 long-care facilities in Bend, Redmond and Sisters.

Assistance League of Bend would also like to thank OnPoint Community Credit Union for their recent grant to support low-income children in Deschutes County. Their “key purpose for making donations is to empower people to improve the quality of their lives and to help make our community a better place.” Assistance League of Bend is grateful […]

The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation awarded Assistance League of Bend a generous donation as part its most recent round of giving that benefitted 61 charities in Southwestern Oregon. The funds will be used for Assistance League of Bend’s Operation School Bell program to provide clothing to children living in poverty in Deschutes County. The […]

Assistance League of Bend’s Cinderella’s Closet loaned formal dresses and accessories to over 60 girls in Deschutes County this year so they could experience their high school proms. They even loaned dresses to some Oregon State University students who were attending a special college prom for students whose high school proms were canceled during the […]

Assistance League of Bend distributed 500 free books to children at a pop-up event on May 5, 2022 at Redmond High School. Each child received a Scholastic book pack containing four new books and families were able to select age appropriate books based on their child’s grade level; K-2. 3-5 or 6-8. This outreach is […]