Cradles to Crayons

Making Back to School Brighter

By Erica Rascón on Jun 27, 2014 in Giving, People

The list of what children need for school seems to be growing. What’s more challenging is that the materials aren’t affordable for everyone. The National Retail Federation reported that on average, parents will spend $688.62 on preparing a single child for school.

For most of us, we simply cough up the extra cash so that our kids, nieces, and nephews can be fully prepared for whatever the school year brings. With new shoes and fully-stocked backpacks, we rest confident that they have what they need to succeed. But that’s not a reality for all children. Many hardworking parents are struggling to provide the basic clothing their kids need for school, much less are they able to furnish the growing list of required supplies.

That’s where Cradles to Crayons steps in. The nonprofit organization reaches out to homeless and low-income families, providing children from birth through age 12 with the essentials that they need to thrive at school, at home and at play. Items are provided through monetary contributions and through the donations of gently used clothing and shoes.

The simply yet effective model has drawn admiration. Elizabeth Farley, Cradles to Crayon’s Communications Consultant in Boston, was attracted to the organization as an AmeriCorps volunteer. After her service, she decided to stay on board.

“The model is so efficient and effective. It just makes so much sense,” says Farley. “There are children who have so many things, so much excess of clothing, toys, and books—sometimes things they never use—and on the other hand there are children in the same states, sometimes in the same neighborhood, who don’t have any of those things and they need them. It’s affecting their lives that they don’t have those things. It’s a very simple model with a strong impact.”

Such a strong impact, in fact, that the model was replicated in Philadelphia. Michal Smith, Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons’ Philadelphia branch, teamed up with Jennifer Case in 2007 to bring C2C to the greater metropolitan area. Now, operations extend into New Jersey as well.

“The way that Cradles is structured, I think it’s utterly brilliant, an amazing model, such a cost-effective model that was tapping into gaps that exist in terms of services for children and excess that exists in other parts of the community,” says Smith.

Here is how it works: throughout the year the organization accepts funds and donations. During the spring and summer, cash donations are used to purchase new school supplies and backpacks for children. “We only pack new school supplies,” Farley explains. “You don’t want to give a kid a box of used crayons. That’s just awful, so all of our school supplies are brand new.”

Requests for shoes and clothing are also fulfilled by the help of volunteers who carefully select the appropriate sizes and styles based on families’ specifications. As back to school time approaches, Cradles to Crayons is able to equip children with what they need for success from head to toe. In Boston, Cradles to Crayons distributed 30,000 kid before the first day of school in 2013.

As fall approaches, Cradles to Crayons gets a head start on winter preparations. Clothing drives are amplified as the need for coats, boots, long pants, gloves, and scarves increase.  For staff and volunteers, this is a particularly touching time of the year. Farley says, “Parents have to make that crucial decision to send the child to school without a coat and have them freezing at the bus stop, at recess, and coming home from school, or keep them home where they may fall behind in their classes. That’s a challenge that people face all too often in our area.”

C2C helps make the decision easier—send the children to school, warmly dressed. Painstaking efforts are taken to ensure that families receive the winter clothing needed for youth. Volunteers are a huge part of making this possible.

Farley recalls a scenario that she often sees in the warehouse. “When volunteers receive their order form and they are shopping the warehouse for the child, sometimes they see that there are no shoes that fit them. It hits [the volunteers] so hard. They realize the child might not get what they need. It’s amazing to see the connection the volunteers make with a child they’ve never met, and never will meet. We have so many volunteers who come back the next day after they’ve gone out shopping and purchased a few pairs of shoes in the size needed to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

C2C encourages children age 5 and up to volunteer. The tiniest helpers find a way to pull their weight. Farley continues, “There have been kids who pulled a wagon around the neighborhood collecting donations. One kid set up a lemonade stand to raise money, then had their parents take them shopping for socks and underwear; that’s something we often don’t have because it must be purchased new. We hear some really cute and wonderful stories from kids who want to help out other local children.”

Through the hard work of staff and volunteers, Cradles to Crayons is able to bridge the gap between kids in need and kids with excess. Yet with all of their hard work and determination, there is still work to be done.

In Boston, more than 151,600 items were requested from families in need but unfortunately the organization was unable to provide 25,400 items that were requested, resulting in a 16% out of stock rate.

In Philadelphia, approximately 20,000 kids receive everyday essentials packages and nearly 25,000 receive backpacks with school supplies. Smith clarifies an opportunity for improvement, “We know that we can make more of a difference for children if we served children with a pack of everyday essentials at least three times a year. That’s what will truly make a difference in the life of a child in a low-income family.  We have 400,000 children in poverty. We really should be providing at least 120,000 kid packs to address that need and we’re really only providing 25,000-30,000 kid packs. So that’s where the gap really lies.”

It’s clear that Cradles to Crayons is making a quantifiable difference in the lives of children but more support is needed to help the organizations reach its full potential.

Boston residents can look forward to the Emerging Leaders Council coming up at Liberty Hotel Ballroom in September. It’s a grand affair that unites young professionals for an evening of music, cocktails, raffles and prizes. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Cradles to Crayons.

Philadelphia is gearing up for numerous clothing drives and fundraisers. There is a big push for donations that will help residents prepare for the harsh winter ahead. “We can get a coat on a child for $25, boots for about $15, so those are the ways that someone practically could help with funds,” says Smith.

For more ways to get involved, visit Cradles to Crayons calendar for local events and drives. Every donation helps. “Getting the clothes, shoes, and supplies is wonderful for those kids. It builds their confidence,” Farley says. “It makes them feel valued, that they are as good as everyone else in the class and they have the tools to learn.”