Cradles to Crayons
Non-Profit Presents at Morning Ex
Photo credit: Sofia Brown
Freshman Minnie Dennis talks about her experience volunteering with Cradles to Crayons at the MX.
Across the country, countless children begin their day similarly — they collect their pens and notebooks, strap on their backpacks, grab their lunchboxes, and set out for another day at school. For many children, however, simple items like yellow pencils, new notebooks, and even warm winter gloves are difficult to find.
In Chicago, nearly 200,000 children live in poverty. One in three children in the city don’t have the money to buy supplies for the upcoming school year, properly-fitting shoes, or a warm coat for the winter. The organization “Cradles to Crayons” works to fix that.
On Friday, December 8, Amanda Marks, the Community Engagement Coordinator for Cradles to Crayons presented at Morning Ex. Marks, who has worked with the organization for two years, explained the work Cradles to Crayons does in the Chicago area. “We’ve had a very warm reception from the Chicagoland community,” Marks said. “People love what we do, love to come out and volunteer, and I think the Chicagoland community in general just loves giving back.”
Cradles to Crayons is a Boston-based non-profit organization created by Lynn Margherio. Since its inception in 2002, the organization has grown to multiple locations throughout the U.S., including its Chicago branch that was established in 2016. The non-profit assists over 30,000 children annually in Chicago, and nearly 1.2 million children nationwide.
Cradles to Crayons, according to Marks, supplies children from birth until age 12 living in low-income or homeless situations with “the essential items that they need to thrive at home, at school, and at play.”
These items are sorted into “kidPacks,” which are customized packages designed to fit the needs of the specific child being helped, keeping in mind variables including reading levels, clothing sizes, and religious affiliations. “Quality equals dignity,” Marks said. “It’s our bedrock value. It’s what we live by. It’s a really important step to go through and quality check these items to make sure they’re really high quality and something a child will be proud to have.”
At all of its nationwide locations, Cradles to Crayons collects new or gently-used items through community drives and corporate donations. Volunteers then process and package these items in the organization’s warehouse. This distribution center—named the Giving Factory—is a labyrinth of sorts, filled with heaps of colorful clothes, stacks of school supplies, and rows upon rows of shelving units. Chicago’s Giving Factory is a 12,000 square foot warehouse located in Logan Square.
Once items in the Giving Factory are organized into the kidPacks, packages are delivered to local underprivileged children via a collaborative network of service partners.
Currently, Parker is embarking on its second year of a partnership with Cradles to Crayons through the Middle School’s community service program, “Parker Partners.” Freshman Minnie Dennis became acquainted with Cradles to Crayons through Parker Partners during her eighth-grade year and has continued her personal work with the organization. “One of my favorite stations was the clothing pack station because I got to customize each pack to what each kid wanted,” Dennis said during the Morning Ex.“I got to go and choose what shirt I thought would look great on this five-year-old girl, and what pants and what shoes. It was a really great experience overall because I got to see how one pack could impact their life so much.”
In addition to the Morning Ex, Cradles to Crayons presented at the Social Justice Committee’s fair during Upper School Student Government on October 19 and at an additional meeting for Upper School students during the following lunch period.
While Middle School Choir teacher and organizer of Parker Partners Rob Denien invited Marks to the Morning Ex, senior and Social Justice Committee Head Sarah-Jayne Austin reached out to the organization in August for the Social Justice Fair. “I liked that Cradles to Crayons had a specific purpose and a very specific mission,” Austin said. “They make packs for kids for school, and what I like about them is that they base the packs off of the kids. There’s no one pack that fits all. They recognize that within the communities they’re helping, these kids are individuals that have their own needs.”
This year, Cradles to Crayons hopes to assist 60,000 children in Chicago, with a smaller objective of helping 15,000 of those children during the winter months alone. To aid in achieving this goal, Parker will be hosting a collection drive in January through the Parker Partners program. “Considering how many kids at Parker do donate to drives, I think the collection will be beneficial to Cradles to Crayons,” Dennis said. “Because a lot of kids at Parker have many resources and are privileged, there’s a lot of nicer things the kids from Cradles to Crayons will be excited to receive.”
