Assistance League' Chapters Donate 500,000 Books to Local Schools and Organizations

BURBANK, Calif., Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ National Assistance League , a nonprofit organization with 120 chapters nationally, announced today that it has reached its five-year goal of collecting and donating more than 500,000 books to local schools, homeless shelters and other worthy organizations to help disadvantaged students as part of Make A Difference Day.

Assistance League, which was launched 100 years ago and recently celebrated its 80 th anniversary as a cohesive national nonprofit, was formed to meet the needs of the local communities it serves. The all-volunteer organization of more than 23,000 members participates in a variety of local causes, including Make A Difference Day and its signature program Operation School Bell .

"When we decided to participate in Make A Difference Day, which since 1992 has been bringing together volunteers and communities to improve the lives of others, we set a five-year goal of collecting more than half a million books for disadvantaged youth," Anita Friesen, National Assistance League President said. "More than sixty percent of low income children don't have any books in their homes and are more likely to drop out of school than their more advantaged classmates. Assistance League believed that putting books in the hands of students would be a monumental way to truly Make A Difference. It is due to the hard work and dedication of our thousands of members and community volunteers that we were able to reach this goal."

National Assistance League is part of the first wave of nonprofit organizations in America that empowered ordinary citizens to evoke positive change in their communities through long-term volunteerism. Formed in 1935, the organization's roots date back to the turn of the century when a charity-minded group of Los Angeles women used their time and resources to help people in need. Today, 23,000 member volunteers at 120 chapters nationwide serve 1.5 million people annually by raising more than $57 million to fund a wide-range of community-based programs. In addition to Make A Difference Day, Assistance League's signature program, Operation School Bell, helps children succeed by providing clothing,health assistance, and literacy, cultural programs. For more information, visit www.AssistanceLeague.org.

SOURCE National Assistance League