On Thursday, we will do something we have never done as an Assistance League® chapter. We will be kicking off a crowdfunding campaign — www.youcaring.com/alchesapeake — to raise money for our Kids In Need program. This program provides new uniforms to students at 5 local elementary schools and 1 middle school. These Title I schools require that students wear uniforms, a policy that helps take away social pressures and creates an environment more conducive to learning.

For those who like to direct their charitable donations to local nonprofits, we hope that our Kids In Need program resonates with them. For as little as $10, you can help us provide clothing to elementary school and middle school students who live in our own neighborhood and who have very little to call their own.

A unique aspect of the Kids In Need program is that 100% of donations will be used to provide clothing for the children who are referred to us by the schools’ counselors. We can say this because all of the work in Kids In Need is done by our members who volunteer their time to organize and run the program, measure students, sort and package the clothing, and distribute it to students. We top off each bundle of clothing with a small package of toiletries. We are deeply dedicated to this program because amid the plenty in our community, there are real pockets of need. In fact, close to 8% of students in Anne Arundel County are homeless.

We know we have many friends in Anne Arundel County. We are asking them to support our efforts to help Kids In Need, an aptly named program that serves just who it says. Please watch our crowdfunding video on www.youcaring.com/alchesapeake. As our president, Lyn Hopkins, says, “The children in the schools that we serve are in special need of kindness.” Please help us share your kindness with these special Kids In Need.