APRIL NONPROFIT OF THE MONTH
BROOKS CIMA President
Assistance League ® of the Bay Area
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE ® of the BAY AREA
Continues to Find Ways to SERVICE THE COMMUNITY during UNCERTAIN TIMES
During this year of uncertainty and anxiety for many students in the Bay Area , there is one thing they could count on , Assistance League of the Bay Area . Planning for many possible scenarios , Operation School Bell ®, Operation Support Our Schools , and Operation Cinderella committees have worked through ways these philanthropic programs could continue to meet the needs of area students .
Since August , Operation School Bell committee members have personally shopped for almost 1,750 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade . New clothing , shoes , jackets , and hygiene supplies have been purchased at area Kohl ’ s and Target stores and then delivered to students identified by school staff as needing services . The need is expected to be even greater next school year .
Operation Support Our Schools provides support to Communities In Schools – Bay Area , a national dropout prevention program serving CCISD and Dickinson ISD . Some aspects of the program include providing vision care referrals to students in need , incentives to students who maintain good grades and have perfect attendance , nonperishable food items for consumption at school and home , and volunteers for campus activities .
Through Operation Cinderella , a philanthropic program that began in 2006 , prom night is made possible for high school senior girls and boys . Students needing prom attire , including tuxedos for young men , are referred to the program by their school counselors and student support specialists based on individual circumstances .
If the scare of Covid-19 was not enough , the nonprofit organization has worked with families who lost everything in multiple house fires , a horrific tornado that tore through Texas City , and families displaced from low-income housing by frozen pipes . Former CCISD Superintendent , Dr . Greg Smith ,
expressed , “ this organization finds a way to address the right issues , ask the hard questions , and push the right buttons to achieve results for our students ”.
In addition to these programs aimed at children , Assistance League also supplies Assault Survivor Kits ® to area shelters and police departments to meet the needs of victims of sexual assault or domestic violence . Partnering with United Way Greater Houston ’ s THRIVE Center , The Bridge Over Troubled Waters , and Family Promise , the chapter ’ s Ready for Work program helps adults re-enter the work force with job-appropriate clothing .
Program funding is raised through the chapter ’ s award-winning Resale Shop located at 100 E NASA Road One , Suite 80 in Webster , an annual fundraiser , and a solid grants program . Other generous funding comes from private and community donations .
Assistance League of the Bay Area is an allvolunteer , nonprofit organization that changes lives through philanthropic programs in the Houston Bay Area community . With over 175 members and an active Assisteens ® auxiliary of high school students , enthusiastic volunteers are encouraged to join . For more information on how you can help change lives , visit the website at www . assistanceleagueba . org .
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