October is National Book Month and Desert Financial Credit Union has donated $15,000 to fund new books for Operation School Bell. Assistance League® of Phoenix (ALP) provides support to low-income students in the Greater Phoenix Area who are in need of new clothing, shoes, hygiene items and books for school.

“We are deeply grateful for our longtime partnership with Desert Financial Credit Union and this generous sponsorship. They are a true leader in corporate philanthropy.” said Aimee Runyon, CEO of Assistance League of Phoenix. “This donation will allow us to provide new books for 13,000 children living in poverty. For many of these kids, this will be the first book that they will own”

Operation School Bell is ALP’s flagship program which aims to fulfill basic needs, foster self-esteem, and make sure every single student can enter the classroom ready to learn. The program helped more than 12,000 students in 2022.

Assistance League of Phoenix partners with more than 130 Title I schools in the Greater Phoenix Area to bring Operation School Bell to students in need. Each school can select up to 100 children to receive wardrobe packages. To make the program more accessible for underserved and low-income families, ALP utilizes 40ft retrofitted buses called Delivering Dreams Buses, bringing the program directly to the schools. The buses are filled with racks of clothing and shoes, along with private dressing rooms. Corporate/community groups, like Desert Financial, provide volunteers to help each child select clothing and ensure that clothes and shoes fit properly. Each student receives a package of items that include clothing, shoes, hygiene items and a new book valued at approximately $300.

About Assistance League of Phoenix:
Assistance League of Phoenix is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been serving the Phoenix area for 62 years. The organization has 125 members and 1,500 community/corporate volunteers.. Last year, Assistance League of Phoenix raised over $2M, and volunteers gave 27,000 hours to serve over 47,040 children in the greater Phoenix community. For more information on the Assistance League of Phoenix visit http://www.alphx.org.