Clothed in compassion
Program provides apparel to students in need in Norman, Little Axe schools
During a recent day of shopping, Linda Everett watches while her buddy browses through shirts and selects a white top with blue stripes. Everett offers a big smile.
“Honey, that’s beautiful, too,” Everett said to her friend. “You’re doing so well.”
The two make their way to a rack of coats where the shopper picks out a pink fleece jacket. “Guess what I want you to do?” Everett asks her friend. “Try it on,” the young girl said, with a smile.
The jacket proves to be a must-have. “You’ve done very, very well with your shopping,” Everett said to her friend, adding that the pink coat will compliment her already beautiful features.
The girl finishes shopping and said the experience was fun. “I like that I get to have some clothes.”
Everett’s shopping partner is an 11-year-old student from Irving Middle School. She is one of thousands of students in the Norman and Little Axe school districts who visit Operation School Bell.
The program, offered by the Assistance League Norman, provides students in need with items such as new coats, clothes, toiletries, a book, backpack and a gift card to Payless to buy shoes. The program serves students in prekindergarten through high school.
Students visit the organization’s office at 809 Wall St. and shop in a retail-like space with volunteers from the Assistance League or community serving as guides for each child. Shopping started this month and continues to November.
The Assistance League Norman is a service organization, and Operation School Bell is the league’s largest philanthropic program, said Lisa Gerard, chairwoman for the program.
This year also marks the 40th year that Operation School Bell has been offered in Norman, said Stephanie Clinton, league president.
In 1978, the program served 70 kids. Last school year, 1,935 students received items. The goal for this year is to serve up to 2,500 students, Clinton said. “You can see the difference you’re making in this kid’s life,” Clinton said about the students who visit the store. “It just feels so good to make them feel special.”
Clinton said the league works with school counselors in Norman and Little Axe who identify children who could benefit from the program.
Kindergartners through eighth-graders are bused to the store, while high school students can visit the shop during afterschool hours. For preschoolers, volunteers pack a backpack of items that will be given to the children, Gerard said.
At the store, students get to pick out new clothes, as well as extra items from a selection of gently used clothing donations.
The Assistance League relies on grants, fundraisers and donations to provide the new outfits and other items to students, Clinton said.
Lasting impacts
Tori Christiansen, school counselor at Washington Elementary School in Norman, loves seeing the joy from students who visit Operation School Bell and their excitement about choosing outfits.
“It’s something new, and it’s theirs. It’s something they pick out. There’s a sense of pride and a sense of, ‘This is mine. I chose this,’” Christiansen said. “They go back to class with a little pep in their step.”
Christiansen also said Operation School Bell helps show students that the community cares about them. “It really does support the emotional well-being of our children and lets them know that their community thinks that they’re deserving and that they should be confident in who they are,” Christiansen said.
Sharon Heatly, director of guidance and counseling at Norman Public Schools, said Operation School Bell has provided students with new outfits and new outlooks. “It’s such a boost to their self-confidence. It’s a boost to their selfesteem,” Heatly said.
Heatly said she is grateful for the work and generosity from the Assistance League and the compassion they’ve shown to students. “The Assistance League has such a big heart for our community,” she said. “I just can’t emphasize enough how much it means to our school district and our communities.”