The Power To Take Action: Distributing 6 Million Clothing Packages To Children

Lynn Margherio is the founder and CEO of Cradles to Crayons. .

By Lynn Margherio

Sometimes, the best idea is right under your nose.  

One day, while helping my young niece get dressed, I noticed her closetful of beautiful, outgrown clothes that could benefit another child. I imagined how many other kids had closets filled with quality clothes they no longer needed. That was my “aha” moment.

Kids outgrow clothing every three to six months, so how could we tap into this ever-recharging supply source? In my home state of Massachusetts, one in three kids live in families struggling to make
ends meet. They don’t have access to clothes, food, or water.

Without proper clothing, many children miss school, get bullied, and feel shame. I realized I could harness my project management skills to create a system to collect and distribute children’s essentials to families who need them most. That idea began a journey that became Cradles to Crayons® (C2C®).

Since 2002, more than 500,000 children and adults have donated their time to sort, inspect, and pack clothes for kids. We are the nation’s largest nonprofit tackling Clothing Insecurity, a critical yet overlooked issue affecting more than 20 million children in the U.S..

Guided by our “Quality = Dignity” value, C2C has distributed nearly 6 million packages of high-qualiyt. clothing and essentials to children living in low-income, homeless, and crises in Chicago, Greater Philadelphia, Massachusetts, New York City, and San Francisco. We partner with over 300 social service agencies, schools and community organizations. We recently launched a new online platform, Giving Factory Direct®, allowing volunteers to donate essential kids' clothing directly to families with shipping covered
by C2C.

As I prepare to step aside as CEO of C2C in March, I am filled with gratitude, pride and excitement for C2C’s future, knowing our dedicated staff and volunteers are ready to carry the mission forward.

Lynn Margherio is the founder and CEO of Cradles to Crayons.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-margherio-87372a1 ; https://www.cradlestocrayons.org

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