Through their Operation School Bell® program, the chapter serves more than 3,500 kids every year, giving them hygiene kits, clothes, shoes and coats to help them feel confident in school. Now Assistance League of Indianapolis needs a new space to operate.
“We provide necessary school clothing for the children so they can be at school learning instead of being sent home because they don’t have the required clothing,” Barbra Mohr, president of Assistance League said. “They are getting books, they are getting ziplock bags that contain shampoo, bar soap,and deodorant.”
The kids aren’t just getting a bag of clothes, they are getting a one-on-one shopping experience with volunteers that makes them feel independent.
“They have choices. It’s not the same merchandise. You see lots of different colors here and it is their choice that they make which is very empowering for those children,” Mohr said.
The chapter has been serving kids in Marion County and the surrounding counties for 36 years. For more than 30 years they operated out of the old Coca-Cola building and then at Forest Manor Professional Development Center. Now they find themselves having to move again.
“The building has sold to another nonprofit and unfortunately there isn’t enough room here for us to deliver our programs as we have in the past,” Mohr said.
The new owner of the building did offer the chapter a space in the building but it just isn’t enough for all of their programs.
Besides the thousands of kids they serve they also serve the elderly and assault survivors. All of the programs would be housed in their new location.
“We need a new place to live and we would like to be there forever,” Mohr said.
