More than Just Clothes
Assistance League cares about kids—we clothe them, feed them, provide comfort in difficult circumstances, and we educate them on staying safe. Chapters across the United States provide programs that convey to the children the message that they have the right to say “no” to strangers and to bullies, as well as providing other information about their personal rights and choices.
In San Antonio, the award-winning I’m In Charge program is designed to teach and empower children to plan for personal safety. At the request of school counselors in ten San Antonio school districts, Assistance League volunteers present this 45-minute program to students in kindergarten through 5th grade at no charge. The presentation includes a DVD, colorful presentation cards and role-playing to make this an easy-to-relate-to program. The “I’m In Charge” booklet is sent home with each child to share with his/her family and to encourage further communication between parents and their children. A Spanish text is also provided.
Topics covered include: what to do when home alone; being approached by a stranger; recognizing unsafe situations in malls, movie theaters, and parks; protecting themselves on the internet; gun safety; and bullying and cyber-bullying.
Many chapters use puppet shows to deal with social issues children face every day. In Stockton for example, the subjects covered are: divorce and separation, bullies, physical abuse and Cerebral Palsy. The shows are performed for Stockton’s public elementary schools. Over 2,500 third graders enjoy these shows each year. At the end of each show, the children ask the puppet character questions and make comments. One youngster told Mark, the Cerebral Palsy puppet, “I have C.P. too, and someday I’ll be in a wheelchair.” The child met with Puppet Mark after the skit and they talked for a few minutes about all the things the child could still do in a wheelchair. Often the children’s questions can reveal some real concerns, which the teachers pursue later, such as the young boy who asked, “You mean it’s not right for my brother to shove my head down the toilet?” Last year the Stockton chapter began working with the Child Abuse Prevention Council during the month of April, touring schools with their “Pinwheels for Prevention” program, and the chapter’s puppets went with them to perform Physical Abuse for over 12,000 children.
Below is a complete list of chapters, which present these and other related programs.
Assistance League of:
| Arcadia, CA | Puppet programs |
| Capistrano Valley, CA | Puppet programs |
| Conejo Valley, CA | What if I am Home Alone? |
| Diablo Valley, CA | Puppet programs |
| Downey, CA | Puppet programs |
| Greater Placer, CA | Puppet programs |
| Greater Wilmington, NC | Puppet programs |
| Houston, TX | Puppet programs |
| Las Vegas, NV | Puppet programs |
| Long Beach, CA | Puppet programs |
| Montgomery County, TX | Always ASK |
| Newport-Mesa, CA | Puppet programs |
| North Coast, CA | Home Alone |
| Orange, CA | Building K.I.D.S. |
| Reno-Sparks, NV | Puppet programs |
| Sacramento, CA | Puppet programs |
| Salem-Keizer, OR | Puppets with a Purpose |
| San Antonio, TX | I’m In Charge |
| San Jose, CA | Puppet programs |
| Santa Barbara, CA | Puppet programs |
| Santa Monica, CA | Puppet programs |
| Stockton, CA | Puppet programs |
| the Chesapeake, MD | Puppet programs |
| Victor Valley, CA | Puppet programs |
| Visalia, CA | Puppet programs |
| Whittier, CA | Puppet programs |
* * *
