We believe every child deserves to walk into the classroom with confidence. This program provides brand-new school clothing, shoes, and essential health items to local students in need, ensuring they can focus on learning, fitting in, and succeeding.  Items are provided to USD 259 students based on need identified by school social workers. We enable parents and their children to shop for school appropriate clothing at the store.

Key Impact Areas:

• Dignity & Confidence: Partnering with local schools to identify students who need basic apparel.
• Ready to Learn: Providing clothing needs, including jackets and  shoes.
• Community Driven: Powered entirely by dedicated volunteers who manage distribution and fitting events.
• Take Action: Support this program with your donations and/or become a member.

Scholarships and mentoring are provided to USD 259 graduating seniors who demonstrate need and commitment. This program supports students pursuing job-ready technical certificate programs (such as nursing, mechanics, and IT) to help them build sustainable careers. Both first-year and second-year scholarships are awarded to ensure ongoing support.

Key Impact Areas

• Targeted Support: Partnering with USD 259 to identify motivated graduating seniors who need financial assistance.

• Career Ready: Focusing directly on high-demand technical certificate programs at WSU Tech and Butler Community College.

• Continued Mentorship: ALW Members mentor both first and second-year students to foster long-term student success.

• Take Action: Your donations directly fund a student’s tuition and path to a stable career.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION FOR APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP.

This program provides immediate comfort, dignity, and practical support to survivors of trauma. We supply brand-new clothing, footwear, essential hygiene items, blankets, tote bags and journals to the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center and local hospitals directly assisting recipients during a critical time of healing.

Key Impact Areas

• Restoring Dignity: Providing fresh clothing and hygiene essentials immediately following an incredibly difficult experience.

• Tools for Healing: Including journals to offer survivors a private outlet for reflection and processing.

• Crucial Partnerships: Working hand-in-hand with the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center, Wesley Medical Center and Ascension Via Christi (St. Joseph) to ensure items reach those who need them most.

• Take Action: Help us maintain a steady supply of these essential care items through your donations.

The Bear Hugs program is dedicated to providing immediate comfort and promoting emotional healing for the community’s youngest and most vulnerable victims. We provide teddy bears, journals, coloring books and blankets for child victims of violence being treated in local emergency and forensic units.

Key Impact Areas

• Immediate Comfort: Distributing soft teddy bears to provide tangible reassurance and a sense of safety to children in distress.

• Creative Outlets: Supplying journals and activity books to give children a safe, therapeutic way to express their feelings.

• Community Network: Partnering with Wesley Medical Center, Ascension Via Christi (St. Joseph), Wichita Children’s Home and Sedgwick County Advocacy Center.

• Take Action: Sponsor a bear or a healing kit to bring a smile and comfort to a child in crisis.