Read the full piece: https://jenndebargegoonan2.substack.com/p/the-clothes-that-help-a-child-raise?r=8xwsng&utm_medium=ios
AUGUST 26, 2026—A single mother had to make a heartbreaking choice.
Her children had just a few outfits for school and were bullied because of what they wore. She had to decide whether to send them, knowing they might face being bullied, or keep them home.
“It is just tough to imagine that kind of decision sitting with a mother or caregiver,” said Christine Morin, CEO of Cradles to Crayons.
Thanks to one of the organization’s community partners, the family got clothing and backpacks. The children could go back to school and focus on learning, making friends, and just being kids.
Their mother also felt some relief.
50,000 backpacks were stuffed with goods for children across Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and Rhode Island at the recent Backpack-A-Thon.
The Crisis Children Try to Hide
Clothing insecurity affects one in three children in the United States, which is about 27 million kids.
Families who struggle to pay for rent, food, and utilities often cannot afford clothes that fit, diapers, shoes, backpacks, or winter coats. In fact, 82% of the families Cradles to Crayons helps earn less than $30,000 a year.
The consequences aren’t only physical.
“How do you run around on the playground, join games, or participate in gym class if your shoes don’t fit?” Christine asked. Children might sit quietly because their clothes are uncomfortable, or they might avoid raising their hands because they worry someone will notice a shirt that is too small or that they wear the same outfit again and again.
“Clothing Insecurity can show up as invisibility,” Christine explained. “How does that child get the confidence to raise their hand, take a risk, learn, or connect with peers?”
Some children stop going to school because staying home feels safer than facing bullies.
Christine Morin, CEO of Cradles to Crayons
Quality Is Dignity
Cradles to Crayons provides children experiencing poverty or homelessness with clothing, diapers, school supplies, and other essentials free of charge.
A cornerstone value appears on the walls of its Giving Factories in Massachusetts, Chicago, and Philadelphia: Quality equals dignity.
“It’s not just words on a wall,” Christine said. “We operationalize that every single day.”
Every donated item is checked to make sure it meets the organization’s standards. Children should get clothing they can feel proud to wear. “When kids put this on, they can feel proud to walk through their day,” Christine said. “That’s what every child deserves.”
The Volunteers Who Make It Possible
Cradles to Crayons relies on volunteers to turn donated goods into dignity for children. Each week, hundreds of people inspect, sort, and package clothing before it is distributed through more than 500 schools, shelters, health centers, and social-service organizations.
At the Boston Giving Factory, as many as 150 volunteers participate in each shift, with two shifts held Wednesday through Saturday. Children as young as five work alongside retirees, families, school groups, faith communities, and corporate teams.
Over the past year, volunteers contributed 138,000 hours and helped distribute more than 11.1 million essential items. “Volunteering in our Giving Factory is not a nice-to-have,” Christine emphasized. “It is central to our operation.”
Volunteers provide the vital link between families donating items they no longer need and children who urgently need them. However, they receive something meaningful in return: connection, community, and a shared sense of purpose.
At a time when loneliness is affecting people across the country, the Giving Factory also offers a place to belong. Like coffee shops, parks, and other community gathering spaces, it brings people together through a shared experience. Volunteers may arrive as strangers, but they leave knowing they worked side by side to help a child and often have formed new connections along the way.
The Ask
Cradles to Crayons helps about 300,000 children each year. By 2031, the goal is to reach 600,000 children every year.
Here are three ways you can help:
• Support one child for $60 with clothing and essentials for a year. A $600 donation can help 10 children.
• Donate clothing by giving new or gently used children’s items.
• Volunteer by joining a Giving Factory shift in Massachusetts, Chicago, or Philadelphia. Children as young as five can take part.
• Not located in Massachusetts, Chicago, or Philadelphia and still want to help? You can still make a difference by organizing a children’s clothing drive. Engage a school, PTO, workplace, faith community, scout troop, sports team, or neighborhood group to collect new and gently used clothing, then donate the items to a local organization serving children and families.
A piece of clothing that fits might seem like a small thing. But for a child who wants to blend in, it can give them the confidence to walk into school, raise their hand, and find their place in the world.
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