Cradles to Crayons Prepares Massachusetts Students for the New School Year with its Ready for Learning Initiative. Nonprofit aiming to prepare 65,000 children from head to toe.
July 29, 2021, BOSTON, MA—While school may look a little different again this fall, Cradles to Crayons® is working to ensure every student enters the new year prepared, empowered and excited to learn. The organization’s Ready for Learning initiative is underway and aims to provide 65,000 children living in low-income and homeless situations across Massachusetts with the supplies necessary to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA and TJX Companies, Inc., Ready for Learning aims to distribute age-appropriate, critical learning supplies and other items necessary for a new school year – such as backpacks filled with school supplies, clothing, and hygiene items – to students up to age 12. With the help of a network of 100+ Service Partners, Cradles to Crayons intends to assist thousands of local children and families, many of which continue to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For families severely impacted by the pandemic, purchasing new school supplies and fitting clothes for growing kids can be unrealistic and unaffordable. Though without them, children oftentimes disconnect from the classroom and fellow students. 88% of teachers say that poverty is one of the top obstacles to students’ success.
“As we look ahead to fall, we recognize that now, more than ever, all children deserve the proper tools to learn and grow, no matter what the new school year will look like,” said Aubrey Conquergood, Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons Boston. “There are many families who are still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is critical we work to remove as many barriers as possible to learning. Through our Ready for Learning initiative, we’re aiming to boost kids’ confidence and set them up for success.”
Those interested in Ready for Learning can learn more by visiting Cradles to Crayons’ website or by viewing their 2021 initiative video.
About Cradles to Crayons
Cradles to Crayons launched in Boston in 2002 and currently has operations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The nonprofit provides 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. Cradles to Crayons collects new and high-quality used children’s goods and engages thousands of youth and adults in volunteer activities each year on behalf of local children in need. For more information, visit www.cradlestocrayons.org/boston.
###