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<< Previous   of   Next >> Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Dezeray Hammer, 4, can hardly conceal her excitement over getting a new coat Monday as Operation School Bell begins delivering new wardrobes to children at Everett Community College's Early Learning Center. (click to enlarge) Dan Bates / The Herald Assistance League volunteer Sally Joy helps Dezeray Hammer, 4, try on clothes Monday at Everett Community College’s Early Learning Center. In the background are Julie Polkinghorn, of the learning center, and Nattaley Lindsay, another 4-year-old recipient. Operation School Bell delivered the new clothes to kids in need.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, November 12, 2009 Volunteers go extra mile to clothe Snohomish County kids in need By Amy Daybert Herald Writer EVERETT — The actions of four preschoolers at Everett Community College's Early Learning Center revealed just how they felt about receiving new clothes. After opening plastic bags of new school clothes and trying on hats, coats and gloves on Nov. 9, a 4-year-old twirled around the room. Everyone smiled. Before returning to their classrooms, each child separately thanked Assistance League of Everett Operation School Bell volunteers who delivered the clothes. Operation School Bell has helped to clothe more than 57,000 Snohomish County children since the program began in 1965. Since September, grants, donations and proceeds from the Assistance League's thrift shop have helped volunteers provide clothes to more than 1,000 low-income students throughout 14 school districts in Snohomish County. Students who qualify for the program are referred through a school nurse, a counselor or a teacher, said Charlotte Romo, Operation School Bell chairwoman. The students visit Operation School Bell in the Assistance League of Everett building at 5107 Evergreen Way to try on and pick out a week's worth of new clothes. Only this time, instead of having 36 preschoolers come to Operation School Bell, volunteers from the organization came to them. “The issue is transportation cuts in schools and it's becoming more difficult for schools to justify the cost of a bus or drivers — so they themselves need volunteer drivers to bring the students to us,” Romo said. “We had one case where someone from Everett Community College called and canceled. She was just heartbroken ... I just couldn't stand to have those little kids without coats.” It was the first time Romo, a volunteer from Camano Island, had organized other volunteers for such an excursion. The extra effort was appreciated, said Julie Polkinghorn, program coordinator at the Early Learning Center. “We are so grateful for this opportunity for them to come here,” she said. “Our parents are college students working and raising children and this gives them that sense of relief that they don't need to spend $40 on a winter coat for their child this year. I know the parents are so appreciative of it and the kids feel good to come to school in new clothes.” Everett resident Virginia Ellis got a chance to see the children put on her handmade hats. “It was like Christmas,” Ellis, 88, said. “They walked in wondering what was happening and all of a sudden they opened up the packages and there were all these smiles.” Ellis has donated her knit hats to the program for the past three years and is affectionately known as “the hat lady,” Romo said. Ellis said she delivers about 40 hats every two weeks to Operation School Bell. She tries to make each one a little different. Her goal is to make 400 hats for the program before the program ends for the school year in March. So far, she has donated 325 hats. “I just throw the yarn on the table, pick it up and start out,” she said. “It gives me something special to do and something that is really needed.” Transportation to Operation School Bell was a problem for schools last year, too, Romo said. Some parents weren't able to get their children in, so appointments went unused. This year, Romo hopes staying open one Saturday a month from November to January will help. “It will be first-come, first-served,” she said. “Our volunteers are more than eager to come in on a Saturday.” Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491, adaybert@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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