The William L. and Ruth T. Pendleton Memorial Fund recently awarded The Assistance League® of Phoenix (ALP) a grant for $5,000 to benefit the Operation School Bell program, bringing clothing and essential items to children in need across the Valley.

“We are thankful for this grant and the impact it will have in supporting local students,” said Aimee Runyon, CEO of Assistance League of Phoenix. “As families across the Valley continue to feel the impact of inflation, it is our community partners who are helping us take one financial worry off the table for the 2023-2024 school year.”

The William L. and Ruth T. Pendleton Memorial Fund works with nonprofit organizations to provide services and benefits for children and the elderly. The grant will help ALP’s Operation School Bell to fulfill basic needs, foster self-esteem and make sure every student enters the classroom ready to learn by providing much-needed wardrobe packages. In recent years, the ALP has provided uniforms and appropriate school clothing to more than 12,000 students.

Assistance League of Phoenix partners with more than 130 Title I schools in the Greater Phoenix Area, with each school selecting up to 100 children who can benefit from access to the program. ALP utilizes 40ft retrofitted buses called Delivering Dreams Buses to bring the program directly to schools which cuts out the need for accessible transportation that low-income families may not have access to. The buses are filled with racks of clothing and shoes, along with private dressing rooms. Volunteers help each child select clothing and ensure that clothes and shoes fit properly. Each student receives a bundle of items valued at approximately $200-$250 and includes two bottoms, three tops, seven pair of socks, seven underwear, a sweatshirt, a pair of shoes, a new book, and a personalized health kit full of hygiene items.

Learn more about the programs and mission of the Assistance League of Phoenix by visiting alphx.org.

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 130 members and 350 community/corporate volunteers and is affiliated with a national Assistance League with 120 chapters nationwide. Last year, Assistance League of Phoenix members volunteered over 26,000 hours and raised $2 million to serve over 20,000 children in the greater Phoenix community. For more information on Assistance League of Phoenix visit http://www.alphx.org.