It’s with great pride and a sense of shared accomplishment that we look back at 2017-18 for Assistance League Antelope Valley. Thanks to our board leaders, our volunteers, and our donors, partners and supporters, we were able to accomplish a great deal to improve the lives of children and families in our community. Here are just a few of the highlights from the past year:
- Operation School Bell: We provided an astounding 4,500 backpacks with school supplies for children who needed them. Special thanks to all of our volunteers and our partners, including AV Partners for Health, Antelope Elementary School, Department of Children and Family Services, Rotary, the United Methodist Church, and Ryan’s Wishes. Additionally, we provided 300 sets of school supplies for homeless youth in the Palmdale School District, and 38 Target gift cards ($100 each) for elementary and junior high school students in the Acton-Agua Dulce School District.
- Infant & Preschool: Provided four car seats, a high chair and a “baby care model” for the women’s clinic.
- Gift Giving: 388 Christmas gifts provided through the Department of Children and Family Services to kids ages 0-16.
- Winter Coats: 15 coats for boys, men and ladies provided through Grace Resources.
- Musical Instruments: Provided guitars, drumsticks, keyboard and music books for Antelope Elementary School. And, provided musical instruments and books for the Wilsona, East Side, Palmdale, Keppel and Hughes school districts.
- Assault Survivor Kits: Provided 50 kits to the Forensic Services Unit at AV Hospital.
- Assault Survivor Program/Community Awareness: Hosted “Speaking the Unspeakable,” a free training session covering human trafficking and compassion, attended by 120 people at Antelope Valley Hospital.
- Scholarship Program: Provided a scholarship for a middle school girl to attend Teck Trek camp.
- Legacy of Literacy: Provided 340 books for Antelope Elementary School.
- Homeless Veterans: Provided 50 summer kits through Mental Health of America.
- One-and-Done Projects: Our one-time projects included diapers for toddlers through Grace Resources; 11 horseback riding helmets for disabled students served by The Painted Turtle; working with Cherished High Desert, we provided three artist chairs for women seeking refuge from domestic violence; and, 300 sets of dental supplies for homeless youth in the Palmdale School District.