Recently on a very special day, if you walked into Robbie Hall Parker School in Clinton Township, you could hear a lot of excitement in their gymnasium. Almost 600 students from Parker and McGlinnen Elementary schools were selecting their own new warm coat, hat, gloves, tops, underwear, socks, hygiene kit, book, and a duffle bag to carry it all! All these basic necessities were provided to the students at no cost by Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan.
Assistance League members, along with helpful husbands, brought the all new items into the school, set up the gym like a mini-mall and then accompanied each child to “shop” for the new school year. Assisting the members in their Operation School Bell® philanthropic effort were over 50 community volunteers from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The FCA volunteers signed in, unloaded trucks, set up merchandise, and then served as personal shoppers to these elementary students.
It was hard to say who had the best time–the kindergarteners who could not easily carry their own bags but who could hardly wait to show their Sponge Bob toothbrush or purple coat or the second graders who showed helpers they really could read the selected book! Assistance League President Nancy Troyer shared, “For some students, this may be the first coat or toothbrush they can call their own or not have to share with a sibling.”
Before the cold winter days are upon us, the Operation School Bell program will provide warm clothing and/or basic necessities for over 4,000 students at 11 distributions. Members purchase, tag, inventory, transport, pack, store, and distribute merchandise year round.
Assistance League members were so appreciative of the Fiat Chrysler employees who came to work and ended up being enchanted with this magical day of shopping in Clintondale.
