Cradles to Crayons Marks Major Milestone: Supplies 200,000th
‘Pack’ of Essential Items to Area Children Living in Poverty
Will thank supporters at special event Thursday, June 5
PHILADELPHIA, June 3 – Local nonprofit Cradles to Crayons will mark a major milestone this week when it provides its 200,000th “Pack” of essential items to a child, 0-12, in a homeless or low-income situation. More than 300,000 children live in poverty in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Cradles to Crayons (www.cradlestocrayons.org) will spotlight the landmark event Thursday, June 5, at a special “200,000th Child Served” celebration at its warehouse and offices in West Conshohocken.
Cradles to Crayons will host and thank its legion of supporters – including board members, individuals, foundations, financial contributors, volunteers, local business supporters, corporate partners, and human service agencies – at the June 5 “look back and look ahead” event, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Michal Smith, executive director of the organization, noted that Cradles to Crayons served its 100,000th child in 2012, five years after its founding in the area. “This week,” she said, “less than two years later, we will serve our 200,000th child suffering the acute effects of poverty!
Cradles to Crayons’ “Packs” – KidPacks and Backpacks – include basic items children need to thrive, ranging from children’s clothing, warm coats, and footwear to toys, books, school supplies, and newborn baby items and infant safety equipment. The items are contributed by families, corporations, schools and community partners who conduct product collections in their neighborhoods.
“Certainly,” Smith said, “I could describe this as a bittersweet moment – on one hand the sense of achievement in supplying our 200,000th “Pack” to a child in need; on the other hand acknowledging that there is so much more to be done if we are to add meaning to our mission of providing vitally needed basic essentials that help area families struggling financially.” Philadelphia has the highest rate of deep poverty (12.9 percent) – people with incomes below half of the poverty line – of any of the nation’s 10 most populous cities.
“To mount this effort,” Smith said, “to reach the new goals we have set for ourselves, we know we will need, for example, a larger warehouse and a greater footprint throughout the eight-county southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey region. We envision an exciting year ahead,” she concluded.
Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth – 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play. Working through its network of nearly 250 human services agency partners, and supported by 20,000 volunteers, Cradles to Crayons annually helps more than 50,000 children living in poverty in the Greater Philadelphia region.