Outreach Partners of Yuma continues decades of aid in Yuma County

Outreach Partners of Yuma said it helped about 620 students at 41 schools during the 2022-2023 academic year, a snapshot of how many Yuma County families still rely on the group for clothing, supplies and other basics that can be hard to afford. The nonprofit’s School House Outfitters program is one of the clearest signs of that need, with volunteer-led support filling gaps for students across the county.

The organization now operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that describes itself as nonpolitical, nonsectarian and all-volunteer. Its mission is to serve the emotional and physical needs of children and adults of all ages regardless of race or creed. Along with School House Outfitters, its current programs include OPY Bears, Community Supports, Safe House, scholarships and Hatters.

The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce says the group runs a thrift shop whose proceeds are funneled back into the community through four programs: School House Outfitters, OPY Bear Hugs, AWC Scholarships and OPY Support. That model has made the organization a steady safety net in a county where school clothes, classroom materials and short-term support can strain household budgets.

The group’s roots go back to 1966, when 56 women formed the Yuma Guild of the National Assistance League, making it only the third Assistance League guild in Arizona. Outreach Partners of Yuma says it has served Yuma County for more than 50 years, and its connection to the Colorado River State Historic Park has continued since its earliest days. Its IRS tax-exempt status dates to November 1968.

The organization’s longevity matters because the same basic needs have not gone away. Families still need help getting children ready for school, adults still need support through volunteer programs, and scholarships still matter for students at Arizona Western College. In Yuma County, Outreach Partners of Yuma has remained one of the few local groups built to meet those needs with volunteers, thrift-shop revenue and a long-running network of programs that reaches from classrooms to crisis support.