Operation School Bell^® | Assault Survivor & Domestic Violence Kits
Learning Together | College Starter Kits

Clothing kids for school, helping the victims of rape and domestic violence, tutoring and providing school supplies for college students are some of the commitments of more than 80 local women – the members of Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati. 

Every fall, children in need are bussed from public and parochial schools in the Greater Cincinnati area to Assistance League’s headquarters in Bond Hill.  They receive clothing and hygiene items to begin the new school year.

Rape and domestic violence victims often experience the additional humiliation leaving their clothes at the hospital for testing and returning home in a hospital gown. Assistance League has addressed this problem by assembling kits containing sweatshirts, sweatpants, underwear and hygiene items which they deliver to hospitals and rape crisis centers for distribution to the victims. Over 13,000 kits have been distributed since the program began in 1996.

Tutoring at risk students and providing support to their teachers are commitments taken seriously by Assistance League members.  They afford the extra time and attention that is impossible for a teacher alone to provide in a classroom setting.

The volunteers support their activities through fundraising, contributions and grants.  Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati has been active since 1995 and was chartered as the 101st chapter of National Assistance League^® in 1998. 

The chapter has been honored with the following awards:

1. 1999 YWCA presented Cincinnati Volunteer Service Award.
2. 2002 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition on Domestic Violence honored Assistance League for their “contribution to the eradication of domestic violence”. 
3. 2002 The “Extra Mile Award” was bestowed by the Cincinnati Parents for Public Schools, for the organization’s “extraordinary support” of children of Cincinnati Public Schools.
4. 2003 Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission of Head Start recognized Assistance League with a certificate of appreciation.
5. 2005 - 2006 Winton Woods School District presented a recognition volunteer award for “involvement, encouragement and caring attitude” with Operation School Bell^®. 
6. 2006 The Freedom Hero Award was presented by WCPO in conjunction with the Underground Railroad Freedom Center with the following statement, “A Freedom Hero is an individual or group that takes action to protect or extend freedom. The action is often as simple as speaking up, working as a catalyst for change or encouraging others to learn, grow and contribute. Freedom Heroes come from all walks of life and may affect any form of freedom including race, gender, religion, speech, press, educational, social, economic issues. We honor the individual whose innovation, involvement and intervention re-directs fate.”
7. Other school districts presenting certificates of appreciation include McKinley School, Vine Elementary School and Washington Park Elementary School.
8. 2007 Honoree of the Cincinnati Better Business Bureau Torch Award.

Operation School Bell

Provides clothes, shoes and hygiene items for children in need.

Operation School Bell is the official project of National Assistance League.  Locally, Operation School Bell provides under-privileged children with school uniforms, jackets, socks, underwear, belt, hygiene supplies and shoes.  The project goal is to increase self-esteem, improve daily attendance and encourage an eagerness to learn.

Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati is celebrating the growth of Operation School Bell.  Since the inception of Operation School Bell, it has experienced many changes.

Early efforts provided clothing, shoes and school supplies to children at Glad House, a resident facility for children in transition.  Subsequent years, hats, gloves and scarves were given to McKinley School.  In the fall of 1999, the first Operation School Bell “store” was created.  School personnel selected 100 students from Vine, McKinley, Hayes and Washington Park schools to receive two complete outfits, underwear, socks, school supplies and a book from a classroom store set up by Assistance League volunteers.

In 2000, Assistance League adopted a school uniform policy.  Research and school personnel indicated that many problems could be alleviated with uniform dressing. Assistance League accepted the challenge to clothe 400 students with uniforms that year.  Also, buses were added to transport the children to the Operation School Bell “store.”

Assistance League members noticed that many children were wearing shoes that did not fit properly, so in 2002, they increased the budget to include a new pair of shoes for every child who came to Operation School Bell.

Coming to Operation School Bell is a special treat for the students.  Each child is met by an Assistance League member volunteer who helps them select clothing that fits properly and makes each child feel special.  When the bus leaves, there are big smiles.  For some children this is the first time they have new clothes of their own.

The goal for the 2007-2008 school year is to clothe 1400 students in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area schools.

The growth of Operation School Bell has been remarkable.  Hard work and determination by many Assistance League volunteers is apparent.  The critical ingredient to the rapid growth of this project is the financial support of grants and individual donors. Since 2000, the Charles H. Dater Foundation has provided grants in excess of $290,000.

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Did You Know?

• Physical abuse by a male partner is the most common source of injury for women.
  
  
• If all women victimized by domestic violence last year, joined hands they would reach from New York to Los Angles and back.
  
  
• A woman is raped every two minutes and an attempted rape is committed every three minutes.

Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati is committed to help female victims of assault and violence. Almost one third of American women report being physically or sexually abused during their lifetime.  To address the needs of these women, Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati provides clothing and personal care items to hospitals and shelters in the Cincinnati Ohio and Northern Kentucky area.

Assault Survivor Kits^® contain new sweat suits, underwear and personal care items.  Often, victims have to leave their clothing as evidence by law officials, these kits help to restore dignity during a most trying time.

Members deliver Assault Survivor Kits to area hospitals emergency rooms.  From June 2006 through May 2007, 1700 kits have been delivered.  By comparison, the inaugural year of the project, 140 kits were given out. 

Domestic violence, an all too common reality, causes many women to seek refuge in hospital emergency rooms or in shelters.  Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati seeks to help these women by providing a variety of kits.  Domestic Violence Shelter Kits contain a nightshirt, socks, journal, pen and hygiene kit.  Domestic Violence Hospital Kits contain a hygiene kit, journal and pen. The journal allows the women to express their thoughts and work through emotional issues.  For family members of trauma victims who find it necessary to stay at the hospital, Assistance League has started giving the WeCarePak.  This kit contains hygiene kits, journal, pen, razor, shaving cream and assorted other personal items.

To date, more than 14,000 Assault Survivor and Domestic Violence Kits have been distributed serving 22 hospitals and shelters in Butler, Clermont and Hamilton Counties in Ohio.  Kentucky counties receiving kits include Boone, Campbell and Kenton.

For victims of assault and domestic violence, these kits can bring a small measure of comfort and sense of hope in a time of need.

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Learning Together

Starting in 1998, Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati developed a program that provides reading tutors for elementary school students in some of the most impoverished areas of the Cincinnati Public School System.  The program goal is to help students become proficient in reading at their grade level. The program was initiated in the Over-the-Rhine area of Cincinnati.  Later, Mt. Washington Elementary School and Winton Hills Academy were added to the program.  The personal attention given in this one-on-one tutoring project provides an opportunity for these children to achieve success in this vital educational skill.  Pride and self-esteem are additional benefits gained by the children.

In addition to tutoring, Assistance League members were instrumental in helping Mt. Washington re-open their school library.  Members donated new and gently used children’s books and reference materials during a book drive, which helped to fill empty library shelves.  Chapter members also work at the Scholastic Books Warehouse Sale, using their earnings certificates to purchase books for the various schools.  Books valued over $5,000 have been distributed since this project has begun.

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Many first year college students depend on grants and financial aid for their tuition leaving little money for school supplies. Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati recognized this need and responded with a program that furnishes back-to-school supplies.  The kits are filled with essential items such as a calculator, dictionary, paper, pens, stapler and other basic school items. One recipient stated “it felt like Christmas” to receive the school supply kit.  Students returning for their second year, receive refresher kits.  More than 150 kits have been distributed to students at Chatfield College since the program began in 2005.  In 2006, the program was expanded to include students at Raymond Walters College.  30 students received their back-to-school supply kit.  For the 2007-2008 school year, more than 170 college starter kits will be distributed to four different colleges which include:  Raymond Walters, Chatfield, Thomas More and University of Cincinnati Clermont college.

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