Apparel Shopping

Operation School Bell® shopping trips are distributed upon referral by school personnel at elementary, middle and high schools in Placer County.

This outreach program provides school children an opportunity to shop for new school clothing and shoes. Children are identified only by school personnel. Parents receive a form letter from their child’s school with the date, time and store location for their child’s shopping event. The form must be signed by a parent, and returned back to their child’s school by the date indicated on the form. On their scheduled shopping day both parent and child check in at the front of the store. An Assistance League member will provide the details on what is acceptable clothing, allocation of funds, and where in the store to go when the parent and child have completed their shopping so a member can pay for the clothes.

Operation School Bell originated in 1958 in Bakersfield, California by Ruth Ann Montgomery. Our program, started in 1992, serves public school children in need ranging from Head Start through 12th grade within the Greater Placer communities. The Operation School Bell program provides new school clothing to eligible children who are referred by school personnel. Shopping for clothing takes place annually in the early fall and throughout the year as needed at a local department store. This program also provides new shoes, personal grooming kits, tutoring, backpacks and school supplies. In addition, “Books of My Own” provides third grade students with a personal dictionary of their own to promote literacy. Schools are assigned liaisons who work with them to implement Operation School Bell services. “Kids on the Block” is an educational puppet program performed in schools to enlighten children about bullying, school safety and learning differences.