We are excited to announce the first organization to receive a collection of books from the Bubbles for Isabelle 2012 book drive, Operation Breakthrough, located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. 

Operation Breakthrough is an Early Head Start/Head Start Agency. It cares each weekday for more than 500 children, ages 6 weeks to 17 years. More than 98% of the enrolled families live below the federal poverty guidelines, most far below them. Most are headed by single women in low paying jobs. The average income of our families is $9,400.

About 25% of the children are homeless or near homeless, living in battered women's or homeless shelters or transitional living programs. Often they sleep on the sofas of friends or relatives, sometimes even living in cars, rundown hotels or abandoned buildings. About 25% of our children are in foster care or other placements due to abuse, neglect or other family crises.

Operation Breakthrough is a United Way Agency and has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities. www.charitynavigator.org

Operation Breakthrough began in 1971 when a group of working-poor parents in the central city voiced their need for child care to Sister Corita Bussanmas and Sister Berta Sailer. Together, they incorporated Operation Breakthrough as a not-for-profit agency. The center has been located at 31st and Troost, in a former JC Penney store, since 1981.