In 1989, our chapter adopted the national organization’s ‘flagship’ philanthropic program, Operation School Bell, which gives new clothes, toiletries, books, and a gift card for shoes to public school children-in-need. This program continues today, clothing approximately 900 children annually. We clothe children based on their school counselors’ appraisals of need. We serve Stockton Unified, Lincoln Unified, Lodi schools south or Eight Mile Dr., Manteca Unified and one or two of the island schools. The children are usually in grades K-6th.

In the early days, the counselors brought the children to our program building on Sierra Nevada to try on the clothes (undies, socks, pants, tees, jackets, and a sweatshirt), but by the early 2000s counselors became too busy to bring the children, so we packed up the clothes according to pre-filled-out size charts and then the counselors come to pick up the bags.