Operation School Bell, Assistance League’s Signature Philanthropic Program

Clothing Distributions

Provides new school clothing and/or necessities for students. For some students, this may be the first new coat or clothing they can call their own, bringing smiles to many faces.

Clothing Distribution

Elementary School Clothing Distribution

Members and Community Volunteers set up a “store” in designated schools on scheduled days, helping children choose a new warm coat, hat, gloves, tops, (uniforms for specified public schools), underwear, socks, hygiene kit, book and a duffle bag.

School Store Shopping

Middle School Store Shopping

Members help students shop for school clothing at local stores.

Community Distributions

Our chapter collaborates with local nonprofit agencies to help provide clothing and/or necessities for children through Blast Off 2 School, The Children’s Center and Alternatives for Girls.

Since 1995, 54,490 lives impacted from Clothing Distributions. This year 5,704 recipients benefited at 20 Distributions.

For more information and photos on Operation School Bell – Clothing Distributions, please see below.

Operation School Bell was greatly impacted by the COVID shutdown of schools.  We reinvented our elementary school program by obtaining sizes and filling duffle bags at an alternative location.  Completed bags were delivered to the selected schools and given to the students by school personnel.  We were able to service 4 schools and 1,017 students using this ‘Pandemic style OSB’.

Additionally, Assistance League has provided 900 coats and other clothing/necessities to other non-profits agencies.

August Blast Off 2 School event is a huge success

    ROCHESTER – The Blast Off 2 School event held Aug. 15 brought more than some much-needed smiles to 360 local K-12 students.  Each child received a red bag with their own personal choice of clothing by size and color, along with school supplies and other items.
     Held at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Roch. Hills, the event was the result of a collaboration of Assistance League® of Southeastern Michigan, the Rochester Area Neighborhood House and Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital.
     Parishioners from St. Paul Methodist Church made 715 face masks for the event.  The Rochester High School boys tennis team assisted with stocking and loading of inventory for the event.
     Assistance League provided a bag containing a new hoodie, socks, underwear, a long-sleeved T-shirt, a grade appropriate book, a mask and a hygiene kit.  Ascension Providence Rochester did school physicals.  Neighborhood House provided a wide array of school supplies.
     “It was such a well-organized event,” Assistance League President Ann Drake said in a statement.  “As each car pulled into the lot, the parent and student stayed in their vehicle, and our volunteers handed out the red bags.  What a wonderful day.”
     The event was free for Neighborhood House clients and low-income families who live in Auburn Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, Leonard and Lakeville.

Assistance League – Operation School Bell Blast Off 2 School 2018

Over 400 children from Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, Auburn Hills and Addison Township received new hoodies, underwear, socks, hygiene kits, and books from Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan volunteers on August 18, 2018, at Neighborhood House in Rochester Hills. This Blast Off 2 School event was co-hosted by Assistance League, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, and Rochester Area Neighborhood House, a nonprofit human service organization.

Continue reading HERE.

Legacy of Literacy

Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan’s Legacy of Literacy book drive was extremely successful. An initiative of National Assistance League, the Michigan chapter collected 2,648 books, benefitting our philanthropic programs such as: Operation School Bell, Wee Help Kits, and One-2-One Tutoring. Our book drive also serviced community programs such as Neighborhood House Blast Off 2 School, Children’s Center of Detroit, several Michigan tri-county schools, and the Rochester Hills Public Library. The book drive committee, under the chairmanship of Barb Roller, had the unique experience of accepting a donation of books from Bob Lytle, local Rochester, MI pharmacist, and children’s author. We aided in distributing class sets of his various book titles to schools whose students were recipients of the Operation School Bell program. To date, Bob has donated 685 books to our programs. The gift of books continues to bring joy for reading to many students.

Assistance League and FCA Help Bring Smiles to Many Students

Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan members were overwhelmed when they entered the Manufacturing Engineering (ME) conference room at FCA US LLC headquarters in Auburn Hills for the “Presentation of Donations” event.

Assistance League and Fiat Chrysler-Helping Hands Across the Community

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.

Complete article available HERE.

Assistance League – Operation School Bell Blast Off 2 School 2018

Over 400 children from Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, Auburn Hills and Addison Township received new hoodies, underwear, socks, hygiene kits, and books from Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan volunteers on August 18, 2018, at Neighborhood House in Rochester Hills. This Blast Off 2 School event was co-hosted by Assistance League, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, and Rochester Area Neighborhood House, a nonprofit human service organization.

Continue reading HERE.

Assistance League receives $30,000 grant to benefit Pontiac students

Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan received a most generous grant of $30,000 from the David W. Elliott Memorial Foundation. The funds will support the Operation School Bell philanthropic program and will provide new clothing and/or necessities for an entire school in the Pontiac School District.

Since 1995, over 40,000 local students have benefitted from clothing distributions with the aim of improving self-esteem and school attendance.

Assistance League President, Rosemary Dirksen and Grant Committee member, Barb Bakker received the check from David Elliott Foundation Board President, Henry Woloson and Board Director, Cheryl Gambaro. When the check was presented at a regular membership meeting, the members stood in appreciation of this generous donation which will impact the lives of so many students

David W. Elliott was a long-time resident of Rochester, Michigan, until his death in 2011. As part of the estate plan, a foundation was established in 2015 to support charitable projects.

Legacy of Literacy

Operation School Bell Clothing Distribution at Robbie Parker Elementary

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.

Complete article available HERE.

Our Members Volunteered Over 5,300 Hours for Operation School Bell Last Year!

Video: Jackie Pham testimonial

View this heartwarming video of a woman who benefited

from Operation School Bell as a child from Vietnam.