Cradles to crayons by Caroline Eck

cradles mission/Model Provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive Supplies these items free of charge Collects new/ slightly used children’s items through donations

The Process Donations are received at the Giving Factory They are sorted by type ( clothing, shoes, toys, books, etc) Clothing is sorted by season, size, and gender, then sent to outfits to be made into outfit packs by size. Shoes are sorted by season, size and gender. Toys and books are cleaned and checked, and sorted by age and gender.

Shopping After clothes are sorted into outfit packs, shoes are sorted, toys are cleaned, and all other items are sorted, they are placed accordingly on shelves in the front of the warehouse. Volunteers are given an order form issued by social services that states name, gender, age, and needs. Volunteers fill order from the items on the shelves. Those orders are packaged up and sent to social services, which distributes them to the neighborhoods.

What is teen leadership corps? For kids ages Complete a total of 25 hours of service, including your two 2.5 hour shifts The other 20 hours of service come from your project drive

Product drive You must organize a product drive as one of your Teen Leader requirements New or slightly used clothes, shoes, coats, boots, hats, gloves, toys, books, baby gear... Schools, Offices, Churches, Temples, Houses, Town Hall....

Stats In Distributed 60,000 KidPacks to local children Hosted 24,000 volunteer shifts at Giving Factory Managed more than 800 product collection drives Partnered with 300 social service partners

Need There are 305,000 children living in low-income homes in Mass. Many can’t afford a winter coat, or even a backpack for school. Example Week: 611 orders, 33 Emergency orders Most Needed: Baby coats (0-24m), Hats and Gloves (2T-7/8), Boys Pants (7/8 - 18/20), Crib bedding

Everyday Essentials dded&v=H9gKB53qiu4

what can you do? Volunteering: (Wends-Fri and most weekends, 10-12, 1-3) Teen Leader Corps, College Corps Family Days, Special events: Un-Gala, Backpack-A-Thon Family Leadership Circle: Families in the Family Leadership Circle share, “A desire to teach their children the values of service and philanthropy while volunteering together to help children and families in need.”

Current Product Drive I am starting a product drive today, extending till April 11 Cradles accepts new and slightly used clothing from sizes newborn till 18/20.