The Carol & Marguerite Wheeler Foundation has awarded a $35,000 grant to Assistance League® of Phoenix to support Operation School Bell®. The signature program provides over 8,500 children living in poverty with new school clothing, shoes and other essentials each year. The program is delivered through its mobile dressing centers, the Delivering Dreams Buses.

“We are so appreciative of the Carol & Marguerite Wheeler Foundation’s support,” said Aimee Runyon, CEO at Assistance League of Phoenix. “They have been a wonderful partner and know firsthand how important our programs are to low-income families. Thanks to their generosity, we’re able to serve more children in need this year.”

Assistance League of Phoenix partners with more than 90 Title I schools throughout the year. Each school can select up to 100 children who qualify for the program (students on the free or reduced lunch program). Once on board the Delivering Dream Bus, students work with volunteers to select correct sizes. Each student receives a bundle of items valued at approximately $250 and includes two bottoms, three tops, six pairs of socks, six underwear, a sweatshirt, belt, a pair of shoes, a personalized health kit full of hygiene items and a new book.

About Assistance League of Phoenix:
Assistance League of Phoenix is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been serving the Phoenix area for 60 years. The organization has 122 members and 350 community/corporate volunteers and is affiliated with a national Assistance League with 122 chapters nationwide. Last year, Assistance League of Phoenix members volunteered over 26,000 hours and raised over $1.9 million to serve over 20,000 children in the greater Phoenix community. For more information on the Assistance League of Phoenix visit http://www.alphx.org.