Our terrific grants chair, Kim Taft, asked me to take a look at a grant application she was working on. She very neatly spelled out our work with Kids In Need. That’s the program where we provide new school clothing (in the form of uniforms) to students at seven area schools.

I was struck by these lines:

We began in 2006 by providing emergency uniforms to Georgetown East Elementary School when our volunteers discovered that school personnel (teachers and counselors) were personally caring for some students’ clothing. Volunteers also came to realize that in an extreme case, siblings took turns attending school because their family could only afford one school uniform. Assistance League partnered with the County Board of Education to help remedy this problem.

These few sentences clearly show the need we are filling through Kids In Need.

The KIN program has grown steadily since 2006. This year we have already provided 3,183 uniforms to 2,297 children. These numbers will increase because we have not yet distributed the usual 50 emergency uniforms we provide to each school.

The need in Anne Arundel County is greater than we can meet with current funds. But, we have been able to expand the program each year by locating additional funding sources. As Kim wrote, “As the budgeted funding increases, Assistance League steps up to meet the community’s need.”

All our members are aware of the striking economic disparities in our community. Thus, they are motivated to share their time, talent and treasure to help local kids in need.

Maryann G. Gosnell
President, Assistance League of the Chesapeake