Assistance League of Reno-Sparks Launches Operation School Bell,
Prepares to Clothe Over 3,000 WCSD Students
Tuesday, Sept. 12, Declared Assistance League Operation School Bell Day
by the City of Reno
Reno, NV – September 11, 2023 – Assistance League® of Reno-Sparks is launching its Operation School Bell® program tomorrow night, September 12, at the Sparks Target store. With 29 shopping events at local Walmart and Target stores this fall, Assistance League will clothe over 3,000 deserving elementary school students who are selected by their school counselors. Please plan to attend the kick-off ceremony, honoring the donors who contribute to this program, at 4:30 pm in the lobby of the Sparks Target store, where over 100 students from Katherine Dunn and Hidden Valley Elementary Schools will be shopping.
In honor of this event and everything Assistance League does for the community, the City of Reno has declared Tuesday, September 12, 2023, as Assistance League Operation School Bell day. See details below.
“We are so grateful to the Assistance League of Reno-Sparks for their continued partnership in service of children and families,” said WCSD Superintendent Susan Enfield. “Not only does the Assistance League help children look and feel good with brand new clothing through Operation School Bell, but they also serve students and teachers across the district by funding classroom projects, supporting our children in transition and making in-kind donations to our school libraries.”
Assistance League will be honoring the generous grantors who contribute to this program. The grantors include: the Bretzlaff Foundation, E. L. Cord Foundation, Dermody Properties Foundation, Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation, Neil J. Redfield Foundation, William N. Pennington Foundation, the Nevada Women’s Fund, NV Energy Foundation, and the C&F Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada.
Elementary students shop with their families for brand new clothes at these shopping events. Each student will have the following budgets to spend: preschool $75, kindergarten through third grade $125, and fourth and fifth grades $145. These budgets are generous enough to provide for new shoes, pants, shirts, socks, and even underwear.
“Altogether, Assistance League donates over $700,000 each year to help ensure students’ success in our community,” said Paula E. Jones, president of Assistance League of Reno-Sparks. “This is our biggest philanthropic program, funded by generous grants and proceeds from our Thrift Shop at 1701 Vassar Street in Reno.”
City of Reno Proclamation – September 12, 2023 is Assistance League Operation School Bell Day
Whereas, Assistance League provides over 3,000 local deserving students with new clothing for school each year under its Operation School Bell program; and
Whereas, being properly dressed for school enhances a student’s chance for success; and
Whereas, success in school is essential for our next generation of leaders and workers in our community, and
Whereas, Assistance Leagues Operation School Bell program is supported by an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that uses grants and thrift shop proceeds to spend approximately half a million dollars on this program.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Hillary L. Schieve, Mayor of the City of Reno, Nevada, do hereby declare
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 as
Assistance League Operation School Bell Day
In and for the City of Reno, I encourage all citizens to support efforts to make our students successful and support the Assistance League’s Operation School Bell program.
About Assistance League
Assistance League of Reno-Sparks is a 350-member all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to helping those in need within our community by serving children, seniors, and veterans. Assistance League runs its Thrift Shop and Senior Sampler at its headquarters at 1701 Vassar St., Reno. For more information, please visit https://www.assistanceleague.org/reno-sparks/.
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Editorial Contact: Paula E. Jones – paula@paulaejones.com – 650-279-8997.
