Operation School Bell Rings Up Clothing And Other

Rings Up Clothing and Other Necessities For Youths

by Diane A. Rhodes

Members of the Assistance League of Hemacinto were at the San Jacinto Walmart Supercenter to make sure participants in 2022’s Operation School Bell were getting muchneeded items to help them feel comfortable as they returned to school for the 2022/2023 school year, Oct. 17, 2022.

About 1,200 students from Hemet and San Jacinto unified school districts met with Assistance League members after their school day on a dozen different afternoons to ensure all the registered elementary school children were served. Families were given a two-hour window of time to shop but most didn’t need that much time. Adults knew what their children needed, and the young ones knew exactly what they wanted. From favorite color choices to popular cartoon character emblazoned T-shirts, each child was allocated $75 to spend.

Each school site is provided with 50 slots and two schools are assigned to shop on one of the 12 days in late September and early October. About 100-150 children were on hand to shop daily. Approved purchases included shoes, socks, undergarments, pants, shorts, dresses and skirts. Items not allowed were those that depicted sports teams and no baseball caps, bandanas, pajamas or backpacks could be included.

Three siblings who attend Hamilton School drove from Anza to pick out some new clothes. Their mother said the program really helps out because between growth spurts and seasons, her children constantly need new clothes. She said her family members provide lots of hand-me-downs, which helped her children get through the first several weeks of the new school year but added that it gets expensive to replace clothing they wear out with all the playing they do. Their father said two of their children participated last year and the program is a huge help to those on a limited budget.

Some families were planning ahead for cooler weather by purchasing long-sleeved shirts, winter hats, jackets and sweaters, also on the list. Parents and guardians received eligibility notification through a letter that explained the free program that has clothed more than 35,500 children since Hemacinto became the 64th chapter of the national organization in 1979. Operation School Bell began as an in-house shopping experience for families at the chapter’s Hemet store but was moved to the San Jacinto Walmart when that partnership was formed in 2011.

It was all hands on deck as Assistant League members took turns staffing tables at the rear of the store for check in. On Sept. 27, it was Gloria Egger Madrid and Rose Marie Rohrbacher who were in charge of the initial check-in process. Families provided the letter received by their school and Egger Madrid found their name on the checklist. Rohrbacher, who has lived in Hemet for 64 years and has been an Assistance League member for 14 years, made out a name tag for each child that included a designated number and sent them off to shop.

Egger Madrid joined the nonprofit about five years ago to give back to her community. She said the group works closely with school district liaisons who recommend students in need after they are identified by teachers or other staff members shortly after the new school year begins. While the program is for younger students, Rohrbacher said if there is a sibling who just entered

Sue Watt, an eight-year member of the Assistance League of Hemacinto, assists families at the 2022 Operation School Bell program at the San Jacinto Walmart. [Top of page] Assistance League of Hemacinto members Rose Marie Rohrbacher, left, and Gloria Egger Madrid check in families who qualified for participation in the 2022 Operation School Bell program. Diane A. Rhodes photos

middle school who is also struggling, they can be added to the Operation School Bell list.

After the items were chosen and kept separate for each student, families met with Sherry Cupp, Judy Owens and Sue Watt who calculated the amount they spent per child, confirming it was under, or near, the $75 limit. Once that was determined, shopping carts were wheeled to a checkout stand that was designated for Operation School Bell shoppers.

“I enjoy this program a lot; I enjoy seeing the kids’ faces and can tell they really love the items they got,” Owens said.

Cupp and Owens joined the organization several years ago after both retired from teaching. Cupp was a second-grade teacher and Owens taught fourth graders at San Jacinto Elementary.

“We were career teachers and we saw the benefits of this program firsthand through our own students,” Cupp said.

Watt has been part of the group for the past eight years and enjoys this project the most. When the pandemic kept children out of the classrooms, the program had to be put on a temporary hold. Rather than holding its annual shopping event at the start of the 2021-2022 school year, it was held in spring 2022. Clothing is needed all year long and this allowed the organization to stay on track with its mission and requirements before the end of its fiscal year. All the helpers were happy to get back on track and welcome the students at the start of the current school year.

Meg Stuart was put in charge of this year’s campaign and was the holder of the debit card for final purchases to be made. She said the biggest challenge is getting all the paperwork in order. Once she has collected all the information from each of the districts’ 24 schools, she has to create a master list based on the current budget for the program.

After a Walmart employee scanned and bagged the items, Assistance League member Jennifer Goff stapled it shut and put it into the shopping cart for the families to take home. The organized process produced smiles and grateful comments from children and parents.

“I love it when they want to hug you,” Goff said.

She and Stuart both joined the group about two years ago. Goff said she was a single mother who utilized yard sales to keep her own children clothed and enjoys seeing Operation School Bell participants get brand new clothes they like.

While Operation School Bell is its signature event, members of the local chapter also embrace its other programs, which are designed to assist those in the community who need it most. The Assistance League Scholarship Program encourages applications from men and women who have had their college plans interrupted due to family or health issues. Its Teen Parents Support Program supports teens who are earning their high school diploma while raising their infants and toddlers and who are enrolled in the Riverside Office of Education Cal-SAFE program.

While the nonprofit receives financial donations from individuals and others, the majority of revenue for all its programs and projects comes from sales at the nonprofit’s upscale thrift shop at 180 N. Girard St. in Hemet. It includes its annual Christmas Store that offers holiday decorations and gift items collected throughout the year. The thrift shop is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Christmas Store seasonally opens in October.

Judy Owens, left, and Sherry Cupp total purchases families made as part of the Operation School Bell program sponsored by the Assistance League of Hemacinto.

Donations of new and gently used items are also welcome during business hours. For more information, contact 951-652-8307 or ALHemacinto@verizon.net or visit http://www.assistanceleague. org/hemacinto,

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