Childhood poverty is a serious nationwide issue. The average U.S. family in poverty, with two adults and
two children, lives on less than $24,000 a year. Consider these staggering statistics from the regions where Cradles to Crayons currently operates:
- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate among the nation’s ten largest cities. Nearly one in four Philadelphians, including 130,000 children, live in poverty.
Cradles to Crayons provide children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play. They supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities that have with communities that need.
Their efficient and effective three-step model provides kids with the essentials they need, free of charge. This enables them to engage communities that have, connecting them with communities that need.
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- New and nearly new children’s items are collected through grassroots community drives and corporate donations.
- Donations are then processed and packaged by volunteers in our warehouse, The Giving Factory®.
- Packages from The Giving Factory are distributed to local disadvantaged children — through our collaborative network of diverse service partners.
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Where JKJ Comes In…..
A group of JKJers spent the afternoon of MLK day (January 15, 2018) volunteering their time at the non-profit organization, Cradles to Crayons. As soon as we stepped foot into their warehouse, Giving Factory®, we grabbed our nametags and were directed to a station where all of the volunteers were making back to school cards for in-need children going back to school in September. Cradles to Crayons staff members and volunteers are going to include the handmade back to school cards in the backpacks that are going to be filled during the 10th Annual Backpack-A-Thon at Lincoln Financial Field.
After we were finished making back to school cards, our group was taken back into the library sorting section of the warehouse where we worked diligently with one another to pack up bundles of books for babies, young children and older children.
Volunteering at Cradles to Crayons especially on MLK Day was a very rewarding experience to be able to help families in Philadelphia who are living in poverty or who are currently homeless. The work that this organization does for the community of Philadelphia and for Boston as well as for Chicago is unbelievable!
Source: Cradles to Crayons Website (https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/philadelphia/)
