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Choose Cradles to Crayons!

 

When shopping Amazon Smile, be sure to choose Cradles to Crayons as your supporting charity.
A percentage of your purchase will help a child in need.

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We're 15!

 

Cradles to Crayons recently celebrated 15 years of providing basic essentials like clothing, shoes, and school supplies to children in need. We greatly appreciate the continued support of our partners, donors, and volunteers. Together, we are making a positive difference in the lives of children.

#c2canniversary

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Helping Kids Prepare…Every Day


We provide the essential items children need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued. 

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Providing the Essentials Kids Need


Cradles to Crayons volunteers prepare customized packages of clothing, shoes, books, and more for distribution throughout the year to tens of thousands of kids in the communities we serve. We do it in a way that is highly efficient and accountable. That’s why Charity Navigator has recognized us as a Four-Star Charity for 10 years and counting.

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Let's Build an #ArmyofEmpathy


After 15 years and 300,000+ volunteers at Cradles to Crayons, our Founder and CEO Lynn Margherio, realized that the key to a better future is giving everyone an easy opportunity to serve. Hear more about Lynn’s journey to building an #ArmyofEmpathy in her TEDxBeaconStreet talk!

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Find A Local Drop Off
 

You can help us provide everyday essentials to local children in need. Learn more about how you can help.

Donate Goods

Please look in closets and drawers at home for new and like-new clothing, shoes, books, and toys that have been outgrown or replaced. By donating them to us, you can be sure they’ll be given to local children in need who will be happy to receive them.

Host a Drive

Volunteer

We work with nearly 75,000 families, individuals, community groups, and corporate volunteers in our Giving Factories and at community-based events to serve over 245,000 children every year. Your time is a valuable asset that we invite you to invest in us.

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Fund the Cause

Financial support from individuals, families, and companies sustains our work year-round. A gift of $33 enables us to impact the life of one child.

Fund the Cause

Ways to Give

We fill a critical yet overlooked need.

Families struggling to pay for rent and groceries often cannot afford anything else. Basic items for their children-an extra outfit for school, a backpack, shoes, pajamas, a coat for cold weather–are simply not possible. By making our collaborative process as easy and streamlined as possible, Cradles to Crayons enables our volunteers and donors to turn compassion into action and provide the essential items that children in struggling families need to thrive at school, to participate more fully in life, to just be a kid.

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We’re Making a Tangible Difference

 

We’re Making a Difference in Children’s Lives.

Cradles to Crayons was founded on the philosophy of sharing and recycling quality children’s items for newborns through age 12. We invite you to look in closets, drawers and shelves at home for new and like-new clothing, shoes, books and toys that have been outgrown or replaced by a new favorite. By donating them to us, you can help to change the lives of daily lives of local children in need. Read more about our impact >

In The News

We host special events and activities throughout the year in our Giving Factories and in local communities to enable community groups, families, and businesses to support our mission and help neighbors in need.

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Our Service Partners

Our network of social service partners is a crucial link to the families and children we serve. We are committed to making our collaborative process as easy and streamlined as possible.

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Our Featured Partners