Assistance League® of Kansas City

Operation Hug provides new teddy bears to comfort children in crisis situations and to seniors in memory care situations. In 2020-2021, Assistance League of Kansas City prepared and distributed 2,160 teddy bears to area emergency personnel to comfort children involved in accidents or other traumatic situations. We deliver teddy bears to hospitals (Liberty, North Kansas City, Children's Mercy Northland, St. Luke's - North, South and the Plaza locations, and Truman Hospital), Briarcliff Surgery Center, the Liberty Surgical Center, and Synergy Services.  Since beginning this program in 1989, over 92,180 teddy bears have provided comfort to children in crisis and vulnerable seniors.

I'm in Charge is a school curriculum which includes an on-line video, a facilitator's manual and a workbook for elementary-age students focusing on safety in emergency and non-emergency situations when a child is alone at home or on their own away from home. In the 2020-2021 school year, 6,728 students in our community benefited from this program. The following topics are covered by engaging students in discussion and role-play situations; using the telephone, answering the door, inappropriate touching, stranger danger, fire safety, guns, first-aid, Internet safety, and emergency weather situations. Since the I'm In Charge program began in 1984, over 150,900 elementary students have received personal safety information and training through this program.

This program provides clothing and personal care items for sexual assault victims. In 2020-2021 our kits helped 720 assault victims. The kits are distributed by MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault) when victims present at area hospitals.  The program provides clothing and other items to help assault victims, whose garments are retained by police for evidence, to leave the hospital comfortably and with dignity. Each kit contains pants, a shirt, underwear, hygiene items and the book "Recovering from Rape" by Dr. Linda Ledrey.  The volunteer coordinator of MOCSA made this comment, "This program is an invaluable resource to survivors.  Not only does it provide them with essentials such as clothing, toiletries, and information, but it also helps to restore a sense of dignity and control after the assault.  This is an important start to the healing process..."

Operation Child In Need helps any child in our community whose family is unable to provide the things for their educational, physical or emotional development. This program assists foster children, foster families, wards of the court and other children in need.  It provides emergency items and services like eye exams and glasses, psychiatric services, and bike helmets. In 2020-2021, 7,906 children were assisted through Operation Child in Need. Requests for assistance are made to Assistance League of Kansas City through school counselors and social workers.
 

The Senior Outreach Service program provides friendship and support to residents of four Northland senior care centers and to homebound seniors.  Our volunteers are matched as senior pals to residents of the senior care facilities to provide support through personal visits and mailing greeting cards on holidays and birthdays.  Entertaining and educational programming as well as magazine subscriptions, puzzle books, CD's and bingo cards, are also provided to help enhance the lives of residents.  Over 1,987 senior residents were served during 2020-2021 through this program.  An activity director from one of the senior care centers we serve made this comment, "You and your friends at the Assistance League of Kansas City have been wonderful during the holiday season about reaching out to our residents..thanks again for all your generosity and wonderful donations..."
 

Operation Celebration is a philanthropic program administered by the Assisteens auxiliary of Assistance League of Kansas City focusing on meeting the needs of children who have been removed from their home, and placed in a temporary foster care facility.  Assisteens provide this program to celebrate birthdays of children 2 years through 18 years of age who have been removed from their homes and are staying in temporary housing operated by Synergy Services.  Each birthday/celebration bag contains a cake mix, frosting, decorations, paper products and an age appropriate gift. During 2020-2021, 1,456 children and teens received a birthday or celebration bag. 

The Outreach Program allows Assistance League of Kansas City volunteers the opportunity to respond to various needs in our community on a seasonal or short term basis.  Clothing has been provided to tornado and fire victims through this program.  
During 2020-2021, 230 books were provided to Penn Valley Community College for the Common Read Program.

Assistance League of Kansas City (ALKC) offers scholarships to academically promising high school seniors, single parents, and reentry students who need financial assistance to attend a college, university, or technical school/program. Fourteen students received scholarships in 2020-2021 ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.