Assistance League of Arcadia has been collecting donations all year for their Annual Holiday Sale starting Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Bargain Box Thrift Shop, 64 E. Live Oak, Arcadia, CA 91006. Light refreshments will also be served.
The Bargain Box will be filled with Christmas trees, holiday décor for the home, toys and games, jewelry, new gifts, gently used holiday wear, and many more donated items. The line to get in usually goes down the block so arrive early for the best selection. All proceeds from the sale will benefit Operation School Bell® and other Assistance League of Arcadia community outreach programs. Last year, our 347 volunteers provided 26,800 service hours to more than 25,000 children and adults throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
Operation School Bell provides new clothing, including a warm jacket, a hooded sweatshirt, underwear, shirts, pants, shoes, backpacks, hygiene kits, school supplies, and books to disadvantaged school children. During the past year, Operation School Bell clothed more than 1,200 children in Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Temple City, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Rosemead, and the Almansor Center. Children are pre-identified through arrangements made with local schools, counselors, and social workers.
The mission of Operation School Bell is to provide schoolchildren in need with new clothes, school supplies and hygiene kits with the goal of helping them feel not only better about themselves – but also about going to and staying in school. By providing proper clothing and learning materials, Operation School Bell helps children arrive in the classroom better prepared to learn. Not surprisingly, schoolteachers and counselors see an immediate difference in the students’ attitude and behavior. “Some of my clients come from a low income [background] where they have to choose from having food on their plate or a new change of clothing for school. One of my clients had an old pair of shoes that the bottom of the sole came undone every time she used them….I took her to Operation School Bell, so that she could attain new clothing…. When my 8 year old client got a new pair of shoes she stated with a smile on her face, “I don’t have to glue my shoes anymore”. The 8 year old was excited that she could not wait to put them on. [At] my last visit the client’s mother stated that the first thing [the child] does when she arrives home is to wash the shoes so that they can last longer.” A. Rodriguez – Almansor Center case worker.
The members of Assistance League of Arcadia put caring and commitment into action and are always looking for active, dedicated volunteers to make a difference in the community. To learn more about Assistance League of Arcadia, please visit our website at or email us ala@alarcadia.org.
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