Our Impact on clothing insecurity
We’re Making a Difference in Children’s Lives
In the United States, 2 in 5 children live at or below 200% of the federal poverty, a level that ranges from deep poverty (50%) to low-income (200%). These families struggle to pay for rent and groceries and often can’t afford anything else. Basic items for their children—clothes that fit, shoes, a coat for cold weather—are simply not possible. Cradles to Crayons works to fill this critical yet overlooked need. Watch our video to listen to Cibele, a single mother whose life changed after receiving our services for her daughter.
Learn more about Clothing Insecurity and Cradles to Crayons’ efforts to end it for all children>
Take a look at some of the other lives we’ve touched—in the words of Service Partners and families>
Our Model
Our efficient and effective model focuses on three fundamental principles:
- Make giving back easy and effective: Our highly accessible donation bins, Giving Factory warehouses, and online Giving Factory Direct platform make sure your clothing donations go directly to children in our communities
- Provide a meaningful volunteer experience: Corporate, community, and individual volunteers roll up their sleeves to sort and bundle quality clothing packages that change the daily lives of children facing Clothing Insecurity
- Collaborate: We partner with 300+ schools, health centers, social service agencies, and more who identify families in crisis, poverty, low-income, and homeless situations so our packages go directly where they need to
Cradles to Crayons by the numbers
We Empower
562,979
VOLUNTEERS*
*Since 2002
We Partner With
302
AGENCIES
We’ve Distributed
5,788,472
PACKAGES*
*Since 2002
Why It Matters
Without affordable, adequate, and appropriate clothing, children face barriers and participate in life on an unequal playing field. Three of the top 10 reasons kids miss school are rooted in lack of clothing. They are also more likely to miss medical appointments and social outings, creating significant short and long-term social and economic deficits. Across most of the United States, only three (food, housing, energy) of the four basic needs are supported by government safety net programs. Cradles to Crayons assists families through annual initiatives that focus support and attention on specific, seasonally appropriate children’s needs. More than 87% of Cradles to Crayons Service Partners report that they would not be able to provide clothing to their clients without C2C’s services.
Our Service Partners
Our extensive network of Service Partners are the critical connection to the families and children who receive the clothing and essentials we distribute. We are committed to helping our Service Partners obtain the items their clients need while integrating with their day-to-day operations. We serve our Partners with the items to get kids ready from head to toe—clothing, shoes, winter coats, diapers, backpacks, and more.
Our Volunteers
Cradles to Crayons began with the vision of one individual who was determined to make a difference in the world. Today, we mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers who are working together to help change the lives of the children we serve. Volunteers in The Giving Factory make lasting memories through a two-hour hands-on shift where they inspect, sort, and package clothing and essentials to get them ready for distribution. We believe it’s important for everyone to flex their empathy muscle so our volunteer opportunities are for anyone who wants to give back—families, including children as young as 5, corporate and community groups, teen programs, and more. We are all truly in it together!
