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From June 28 through Aug. 19, all Jordan’s Furniture store locations and the Taunton Distribution Center collected new and like-new clothing and shoes in support of Cradles to Crayons’ Ready for School program, which provides local low-income and homeless children with the essential items needed for a successful school year.
The Jordan’s Furniture donation will help more than 3,000 local children start their school year prepared. A delivery of the donation from Jordan’s Furniture to the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory took place on Aug. 24 along with a $500 check presented from Jordan’s to Cradles to Crayons. The Giving Factory is located at 155 North Beacon St., Brighton.
“I remember the first day of school when I was a kid,” says Eliot Tatelman, president/CEO of Jordan’s Furniture. “It is so important to be prepared and with so many kids right here in our communities who are in need, we are thrilled to be able to deliver a truck filled with donations to the Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory. The donations from our wonderful customers come at a crucial time of year, when so many ready-for-school items have already been distributed. It means a lot to us that this collaboration with Cradles to Crayons is impactful to the children throughout the state. We are proud to be a partner.”
“We work with children who are DCF involved and often don’t have many items of their own,” said Wendy Riley, Children’s Services of Roxbury. “Getting a backpack or clothing to start the school year gives some of them a sense of pride and makes them feel that they can be equal to their peers. Kids just do not want to feel different or left out. Cradles to Crayons makes a difference in the lives of the children we serve.”
Cradles to Crayons is committed to the belief that “Quality=Dignity,” ensuring all distributed essentials meet high quality standards so kids will feel comfortable with their peers and can focus on learning. Volunteers at the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory in Brighton help sort, inspect and assemble donations into individually-tailored Kid Packs that go directly to local children ages birth to 12 years old through Cradles to Crayons’ network more than 130 Service Partners — agencies such as MSPCC, Horizons for Homeless Children, Head Start Programs and more. This latest donation from Jordan’s Furniture marks the sixth year of this integral partnership, which has helped more than 16,000 children to date.
“We want all children to start the school year with the resources required for them to focus on academic engagement and success,” said Cradles to Crayons founder and CEO, Lynn Margherio. “I am deeply grateful to Jordan’s and to their customers for providing clothing, shoes, and other essentials to support kids in our communities. This partnership — which continues to grow every year — is an important source of support for our Ready for School program and for the children we serve.”
For information: http://cradlestocrayons.org; http://jordans.com.