EVERETT — Paulette Jacobson is a volunteer who gives St. Nick a run for his money.

Jacobson, of Everett, recently finished a philanthropic event that sent 750 students from low-income families to local retailers. Each was able to buy more than $150 worth of school clothes.

Jacobson has been a volunteer with the Assistance League of Everett since 1994. During that time, she helped create Operation School Bell: Teen Retail, a program born from a need to help teenagers get the school clothes they need.

Operation School Bell, the original program, has been in operation since 1965 and has clothed more than 50,000 Snohomish County children. But there was a problem. Data showed that once young people got past middle school, participation began to drop.

Teenagers just weren’t coming in.

“We were seeing a drastic reduction in numbers. Operation School Bell is great for kids, but for teens the selection is limited. Teens have their own style and our program really doesn’t have the selection they need,” Jacobson said. “We had to do something, so our teen retail program was created.”

Operation School Bell: Teen Retail began in 2004 with just 38 teens who attended high schools and alternative schools in Snohomish County. Today, students are selected by school counselors and nurses. A list is made and then sent to the Assistance League of Everett.

Those teens are given 13 evenings in October to shop at one of four local Fred Meyer locations, with a make-up night in November. The teens show up, sign in and are then set loose with a $150 gift card.

The results are as evident as the smiles on the teens faces, Jacobson said.

“It’s fabulous — we just love it. The kids are so happy. We had one mother who was in tears; she had a beautiful 17-year-old daughter in high school and asked if she could give us a hug,” Jacobson said. “She said her daughter had never been able to shop like that.”

The success comes from not only the dedication of the Assistance League volunteers who staff the event, but also through staff at participating Fred Meyers. During the make-up night at the Casino Road Fred Meyer, employees made extra effort to get clothing from other local stores just to make sure there was enough selection, Jacobson said.

Assistance League spokeswoman Nancy Haug said the program has become crucial for some Snohomish County families.

“The individual stories and families that we see everyday have been incredible. I worked as a volunteer at Fred Meyer and watching the teens come in. They are anxious and uncertain,” Haug said. “When they leave with some new jeans, a jacket and shoes, everything about their personality begins to bubble and they walk out the door with a big smile.”

Jacobson aims to serve 800 local teenagers in Snohomish County in 2009.

“There’s nothing I’d rather be doing — the better these teens feel, the better they will do in school,” Jacobson said. “We want to help them do a better job.”

Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.

How you can help

For more information about the Assistance League of Everett or to learn how to volunteer, call 425-252-3011 or go to everett.assistanceleague.org.

To donate, visit the Assistance League of Everett thrift shop at 5107 Evergreen Way, Everett.