Since 1991, the Assistance League of Palm Springs Desert Area has provided uniforms and other school clothing to elementary schoolchildren throughout the Coachella Valley. During this school year alone, the organization has provided clothing packages — including shirts, shorts or skorts, underwear and socks — to about 800 district students.
With the assistance of the district’s community liaisons, who identify children with the greatest needs, Assistance League members last September spent the better part of a couple of days assembling the clothing packages at the district’s service center for distribution to the school sites. The local Assistance League chapter has clothed over 30,000 children in the valley during the past 25 years. This year, they served about 3,000 students from 39 valley schools.
“I wanted to thank you so much for the clothes,” wrote one fourth grader. “I feel so much better in nice, new clothes. I feel proud.”
The organization has expanded its contributions to Palm Springs Unified School District over the past few years through additional projects, including the donation of hygiene kits for fourth and fifth grade schools to receive during their spring growth and development classes with school nurses. The kits contain a brush, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, shampoo/body wash, soap, washcloth, deodorant, hand lotion, and hand santitizer. Later this month, a total of 1,716 kits will be distributed, added to the more than 1,800 distributed last year.
In 2013, the organization received a donation from its member, Tracy Moss, in memory of her husband, Frank Moss. It’s designated for scholarships for students in the arts, to help pay for music lessons, instruments or other art materials, and/or to attend camps to enhance their talents. The program has continued and its six recipients to date are attending Rancho Mirage High.
This year, the league stepped up to assist the district with opening its first centralized kindergarten enrollment center, by donating 800 backpacks for the first enrollees. The Noon Rotary Club of Palm Springs provided supplies to put in the colorful backpacks.
The chapter receives some grants and donations to support its endeavors, but much of its funding comes from proceeds from its thrift store located at 68-355 Ramon Road in Cathedral City. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Donations of furniture, household items and men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories are gratefully appreciated.
