Kids In Need

1. We served 7 schools, who had a combined total of 3,600 students this school year. Of that number, approximately 924 students returned to the classroom for hybrid learning. We provided 863 of those students with uniforms. The rest were provided from the emergency closets at the schools, as students continued to trickle back to school over a 2-month period.
2. We provided a total of 450 uniforms in various sizes to replenish the schools’ emergency closets. These are for students who enroll after we measure and distribute uniforms.
3. We delivered at least 100 sets of winter hats and gloves to our six elementary schools and one middle school that we work with in Kids In Need.
4. We had a special request for socks from Van Bokkelen Elementary School. They received a grant that provided funds to give shoes to all of their students, so we were thrilled to give them 800 pairs of socks to distribute with their new shoes. 400 students each received 2 pairs of socks.
5. Many members worked to make sure we would be ready to delivery uniforms to our partner schools whenever students returned to the classrooms. So, we were prepared and ready when they asked in early February. As we were not allowed to go to the schools to measure the students, we developed a form with a few of the counselors for the parents to complete with size information. This form was distributed in many different ways by each school for parents to complete and return. Thus, we were able to obtain sizes for the students, write labels, prepare bags, pack uniforms and get them delivered to the schools. Each student had their uniform before school started on March 1.
6. Face masks were included in the uniform packages we gave to children who resumed in-person schooling.

Project Literacy

1. We continued our tradition of providing a new book to each student at Georgetown East, Meade Heights and Van Bokkelen elementary schools at the end of the school year. Books were ordered from Scholastic with the help of Georgetown East’s media specialist, Katie Cobb. We pasted a label in each book so readers would know the book came from Assistance League of the Chesapeake. Over 1,200 books were given away.
2. Adopt-a-Teacher: When we reached out to our partner schools and asked about any additional help we could provide for them in the fall, a new fourth-grade teacher at Mills-Parole, Susan Kiser, indicated she had no books for her classroom library and no classroom supplies. Through two contacts that our members had, we were able to give her 427 new books and teaching manuals for her classroom. We then went to work gathering school supplies, including staplers, spiral notebooks, three new microscopes, pencils, crayons, highlighters, pencil sharpeners, etc.
3. One member, Jane Garbacz, kept the “Little Free Library” stocked with books. This is a little box on the grounds of Georgetown East Elementary School that contains books that students can borrow and return later.

Covid Response

1. We provided math manipulatives for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students at MacArthur Middle School in Fort Meade, MD. These included fraction towers, Cuisenaire rods, snap cubes and Algebra tiles. The school requested these items to enhance the students’ at-home distance learning.
2. We provided math manipulatives for all kindergarten and first-graders and books for students at Meade Heights Elementary School. These items were for students to use at home while distance learning.
3. Two of our members kept us informed about a local food and clothing drive held weekly at one of our partner schools, Georgetown East Elementary School in Annapolis. They also helped out at the drive, which continued until the end of December 2020.
4. We purchased books requested by the principal at Meade Heights Elementary School, Fort Meade, MD.
5. We purchased 17 Chromebook computers and headsets for families at Georgetown East Elementary School, Annapolis, MD. This was a special request from the principal there. Families get one Chromebook from the school system, but families needed more than one when multiple students were distance-learning from home.
6. We purchased socks, underwear and pajamas for all 540 students at one of our partner schools, Tyler Heights Elementary School, Annapolis, MD. This was in response to a request from their principal. Our member, Pam Meehan, chaired this effort.
7. Several members stepped forward to provide clothing for a number of students at one of our partner schools, Meade Heights Elementary School. The school counselor told us about these eight families who were in dire need of help.
8. Another two members, Cindy Culp (who holds our yard sales), and Elaine Atkinson, put together dozens of bags of gently-used clothing, books and household items to deliver to families at Meade Heights Elementary School, Tyler Heights Elementary School and Mills-Parole Elementary School.
9. In response to a request from the school’s principal, we provided t-shirts with the school logo on them to all the students at Germantown Elementary School.

Stork’s Nest Baby Shower

In this program, we provide baby items (clothing, diapers, car seats, strollers, etc.) to the Stork’s Nest at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. Underserved young mothers earn points for attending prenatal doctor appointments and education classes. They then use the points to “purchase” much-needed items from the Stork’s Nest store. We found a way to hold our annual Stork’s Nest Baby Shower in a socially distanced manner. Rather than our usual sit-down luncheon, we provided lunches to-go and members drove up to the restaurant, and dropped off their donations.

New Community Outreach Project – Greeting Cards for Senior Citizens

1. We started a new, informal community outreach project where we deliver holiday cards to seniors at the assisted living/nursing home facilities where we usually hold our sing-alongs (plus one facility that is local but not one where we hold sing-alongs). We sign and drop off a number of cards at each facility that the administrators there then give to residents who don’t see any family members. This has been positively received.

Due to the pandemic, two of our programs were put on hiatus. These were our Kids On The Block anti-bullying puppet shows, and our Sing-Alongs for Seniors. These two programs will continue to be on hold until schools and nursing homes/assisted-living facilities open up again.