Welcome, and thank you for visiting the website of Assistance League® of San Luis Obispo County. We are pleased to share with you who we are and what we do.

Assistance League of San Luis Obispo County, a chapter of National Assistance League®, is an all-volunteer, nonprofit, 501(c) (3), public benefit corporation committed to enriching the lives of students and their families through our philanthropic programs. Our member volunteers total over 100 individuals who share in the joy of assisting students to succeed in school and become contributing members of our community.

53% OF CHILDREN enrolled in San Luis Obipso county schools live at or below the poverty line.

We are best known for our philanthropic program Operation School Bell® through which we provide new school clothing to impoverished students, Kindergarten through 12th grade, in all ten school districts within our County. Through Operation School Bell our member volunteers personally shop with the students to ensure they receive well-fitting, school-appropriate clothing. New clothes, warm jackets, and shoes that fit are proven to elevate a child’s self- esteem, encourage school attendance, and improve academic performance. During this past school year, 2024-25, we clothed 2,121 students in need, and we have clothed over 40,000 students in our 29 years of service to San Luis Obispo County.

View Operation School Bell in action.

We encourage you to visit our beautiful Assistance League Thrift Store in downtown San Luis Obispo – 667A Marsh Street. It is our main source of fundraising, and is staffed and managed entirely by our member volunteers. We are proud of our reputation as one of the best and friendliest thrift stores in town offering high-quality, carefully sorted merchandise that is received from our generous donors. Significant funding is also raised through our yearly direct mail campaign, “Warm Your Heart…Clothe a Child”, grant writing, and donations received from our community friends. Donations of any amount are always welcome and greatly appreciated. All funds raised stay within our County and support only our philanthropic programs.

We welcome those who are interested in assisting the youth in our County to join us as members. When joining Assistance League, you will meet like-minded people and make new friendships while working together to make a difference in the lives of students and their families in our community. We invite you to join us for one of our membership meetings.

Please continue to explore our website to learn more about our all-volunteer organization. This past year 24,859 volunteer service hours were donated back to the community. We are extremely proud to have been serving students and their families in San Luis Obispo County since 1996. Thank you for inquiring about Assistance League, dedicated to making a difference in the lives of students.

With warm regards,
Sharon Darnton
President