Program:
Operation School Bell© subprograms for clothing, shoes, health kits
- Budget:
-
$92,300
- Category:
-
Human Services, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
-
Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
<p> There are twelve subprograms within <strong>Operation School Bell©</strong>, <u>seven of which provide shoes, socks, school clothing and health kits</u>. The <strong>Footsteps</strong> program has provided 10,500 pairs of shoes and socks since its inception in 1995-96. The <strong>Health Kits</strong> program gives each Footsteps child a kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, comb, soap, shampoo and a washcloth. <strong>Chapters for Children</strong> provides school supplies and clothing to military dependent children at Camp Pendleton every August. This is a joint venture with six Assistance League Chapters. <strong>Emergency Clothing</strong> provides a large kit consisting of shirts, pants, underwear and sweatshirts to health technicians in elementary schools in Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad. It also provides special emergency shopping trips if children need something that is not in the kit. <strong>Clothing Children</strong> provides school uniforms to children in Oceanside Unified; this program was started at the request of the Superintendent and uniforms are warehoused at a district facility. <strong>New Haven Boys</strong> provides special shopping trips for teenage boys who are residents of New Haven Youth and Family Services. These boys are wards of the court or have been referred to the facility by the schools because of social-emotional/academic needs. <strong>Community Assistance</strong> is designed to provide funds for any related need that was not met by the other programs. </p>
Program Long-Term Success:
<div>Children living in poverty who are provided the basic necessities of adequate school clothing, shoes, socks and hygiene supplies are more likely to feel comfortable in the school setting. If they feel comfortable, they are more likely to reach their potential and become contributing members of our society. </div>
Program Short-Term Success:
<div>In 2009-10, 1,674 children were given a pair of new shoes, 6 pairs of socks, and a health kit. This brought the total number of children servedin our Footsteps and Health Kits programs to over 10,000 since the programs' inception in 1995. Chapters for Children served 427 military dependent children in 2009-10. 1500 children were served by the Emergency Clothing Program. Clothing Children provided 791 school uniforms. 52 teenage boys were outfitted as part of New Haven Boys. Community Assistance provided complete clothing kits for five children. </div>
Program Success Monitored by:
<div>Assistance League North Coast, along with all of the chapters, organizes yearly Chapter Reviews where programs are evaluated by the entire membership. This is done in addition to the Philanthropy Chair's evaluation process for every program. The budget planning process involves evaluation of every program. Thank you notes and other communication from children, parents, school staff, and community members are part of the evaluation process. Most of these programs were started at the request of school district officials. We receive many thank you notes. </div>
Program Success Examples:
<div>School staff have reported the children are more enthusiastic about learning and feel comfortable in the school setting when they have adequate shoes, clothing, and can come to school well groomed. When our members meet the children every Wednesday of the school year at a Payless near their elementary school, the members commitment to help ALNC raise funds is reinforced by the children's joyful response to being asked to select a new pair of shoes for school. The teenage boys served by New Haven Boys have told us that this is sometimes the first new clothing they have been given. Some of them hug the volunteer after she takes him on a personal shopping trip through Penney's; they are surprised to find someone cares. The military families served by Chapter for Children are so grateful; all of them are trying to raise children on the lowest pay scales. The Health Technicians from the highest poverty schools request additional clothing throughout the year and are grateful for our assistance. The principals are pleased to report the children served by these emergency kits can have their needs met quickly in the Health Office and return to the classroom as quickly as possible. </div>
Program:
Operation School Bell literacy programs
- Budget:
-
$23,000
- Category:
-
Education, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Children Only (5 - 14 years)
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Children Only (5 - 14 years)
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Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
<p>There are two subprograms within Operation School Bell focusing on literacy: <strong>World of Books</strong> and <strong>I Love to Read</strong>. <strong>World of Books</strong> provides books to school libraries. Schools are selected based on their need, with different schools selected each year. <strong>I Love to Read</strong> is an incentive reading program based on the belief that all children should have books in their homes. Schools with a high level of poverty are served first. The major prize is selecting a book to keep. Students also receive t-shirts printed with ‘I Love to Read and I'm Good at It', along with additional prizes solicited from the community by our members. <br /></p>
<p> </p>
Program Long-Term Success:
<div>Every school library would have a wealth of books to encourage children to read and be knowledgeable about our world. Every child should have books in their home and should develop the reading and comprehension skills required to be a successful citizen in our society. We want all children to become life long learners. </div>
Program Short-Term Success:
<div>The librarians and principals report that more children are reading as the result of the <strong>I Love to Read </strong>program. The libraries have more books. Our Treasurer helps the schools order directly from Follette with barcodes which allows them to shelve the books quickly, getting them into the childrens' hands. </div>
Program Success Monitored by:
<div>This program is monitored in the same method as decribed above. </div>
Program Success Examples:
<div>Word has spread about both the library books and reading incentive program and more schools would like to have these programs available.</div>
Program:
Operation School Bell Teen Age Pregnancy
- Budget:
-
$3,000
- Category:
-
Education, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
-
Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
-
Females, all ages or age unspecified
Program Description:
<p>There are two subprograms within <strong>Operation School Bell®</strong> focusing on the teen pregnancy problem: <strong>Baby Real Deal </strong>and <strong>Wee Help. Baby Real Deal </strong>is designed to give students real-life experience in parenting by using infant simulators. ALNC provides the dolls and related supplies, like carseats and strollers, and funds maintenance of the dolls. <strong>Wee Help</strong> provides layettes to disadvantaged teen mothers. Our members knit and quilt items for these layettes. Donations and purchase of other clothing and supplies supplement the handmade items. </p>
Program Long-Term Success:
<div>There would be no unwanted children as the result of teenage pregnancies. All children would be born into homes with parents who are well educated and could provide them with the basic necessities of life. </div>
<div>Given the reality of the teenage pregnancy problem, all young parents would have the resources necessary to complete their education while balancing the responsibilities of parenthood. </div>
Program Short-Term Success:
<div>Counselors and teachers using the infant simulators have reported the teens using the dolls begin to realize how their life would change if they had a baby. This seems to be a deterent. We would like to see more schools using this program but the lack of trained staff is a problem. However, we continue to get requests for our layettes as part of Wee Help.</div>
Program Success Monitored by:
<div>This is monitored by getting evaluations from the school staff. Counselors request layettes for disadvantaged teenage parents. </div>
Program Success Examples:
<div>200 students participated in Baby Real Deal in 2009-10. 47 teenage parents received layettes. </div>
Program:
Operation School Bell-Student Safety
- Budget:
-
$2,500
- Category:
-
Education, General/Other
- Population Served:
-
Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.)
-
Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
-
Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General
Program Description:
<p>One subprogram, <strong>Home Alone</strong>, focuses on children’s personal safety. Volunteers present lessons to third grade classes using research-based lessons that include videos, discussion, and role playing. This program covers a variety of topics and provides a workbook for children to take home and review with their parents. Our members have been surprised to find that many third grade children are home alone and need this instruction. </p>
Program Long-Term Success:
<div>Children would have the knowledge and skills to be safe in all situations. Ideally, no young child would have to be left at home alone so that his parents can earn a living. </div>
Program Short-Term Success:
<div>When our volunteers present the safety lessons, most of the children are actively engaged. Many of the children report being left at home, often for hours. They are interested in the lesson and engage in conversations about how to use the telephone, lock the house, respond to inappropriate attention, etc. Some of our children do not have telephones and live in unsafe neighborhoods so they have to learn to solve problems. </div>
Program Success Monitored by:
<div>The program is monitored by our volunteers who present the lessons, the teachers, and the principals. </div>
Program Success Examples:
<div>Teachers have sent letters from children thanking us and relating what they learned or did as the result of the lessons. </div>