Love Feeling Like a Hero! – Assistance League

Recently, I attended an Assistance League® of Santa Clarita chapter meeting where we had a social worker from William S. Hart School District as a guest speaker. He is a young man whose life’s work is to attend to the needs of his students. He shared a story, and as he spoke, his eyes lit up and a warm smile crossed his face.
“I had a student come to my office who needed new shoes and a warm coat. I said, ‘I can you help with that.’ I handed her a voucher which would allow her to participate in your Operation School Bell® Program, which provides new clothes and shoes for students. I was taken aback by her response. She carefully held the voucher and while looking down at it, she softly said, ‘I have never owned a brand-new piece of clothing, I cannot thank you enough.’
Our guest speaker’s smile got broader and said, “Man, I felt like a hero and I loved that feeling! I thank you because I know it took all of you to allow me to feel like that.”
His story and bright smile warmed my heart. It also made me think. It wasn’t just our members who provided that feeling for him, it was our donors and shoppers as well.
Assistance League ® sells the items you donate. When you donate that sweater that got too tight (must have happened in the laundry, right?), that pair of pants that is now too big (good for you for sticking to that diet) or Great Aunt Edith’s dishes and glasses that no one wanted, you are touching another life. It’s creating a “Yea– look what I found!” moment for a shopper. Assistance League® Resale store sales then provide the means for our programs to create a moment of sincere gratitude from a student picking out her first new set of clothes. Her display of gratitude made a young social worker feel like a hero. Man, I love that feeling!

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