Cradles to Crayons Prepare to Serve 22,000 Students for the New School Year with Its Ready for School Program

Cradles to Crayons Prepare to Serve 22,000 Students for the New School Year with Its Ready for School Program

Organization seeks donations to prepare kids to learn – from head to toe

(Chicago, IL - August 31, 2017) - Cradles to Crayons®, a nonprofit organization that equips children from birth through age 12 living in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive, continues its Ready for School initiative, a program aiming to ensure that children enter the school year confident and excited to learn.

Although students are in the midst of summer vacation, Cradles to Crayons (C2C®) is one step ahead and preparing children for the new school year. Since 2006, C2C’s Ready for School program has worked to help level the playing field for all children by providing essential items needed to start school on the right foot. This year’s program, runs through September 30th and aims to serve 22,000 children. The program will distribute backpacks filled with new, age-appropriate school supplies as well as customized KidPacks complete with clothing, shoes, and more.

There are currently more than 200,000 children in need in Chicago. Entering the school year without the supplies needed to succeed can be a significant developmental setback. Basic essentials like backpacks, school supplies, shoes, and clothing are critical tools that help developing children turn curiosity and creativity into knowledge and success. These resources also alleviate stress from struggling parents and allow them to direct money to food, rent, and other necessities.

"The family I spoke with has three children this year at Rowe Elementary and one child at Head Start,” said Carmen Gary, NUSH. The Kidpack’s really helped them out, especially the book bags. Now the mom only has to purchase uniforms this year. They are financially grateful.”

“To actually participate in school, children need to be equipped with the proper essentials and school supplies – something that is prohibitively expensive for Chicago’s poorest families,” said Bernard Cherkasov, Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons Chicago. “And being prepared for school is a lot more than just having a notebook and pens or pencils. When a child doesn’t have suitable clothes or is forced to carry their schoolbooks in a plastic bag, they are fixated on discomfort and embarrassment rather than learned and growing. We want to ensure these kids are prepared and confident, setting them up for success. We owe it to all kids.”

About Cradles to Crayons

Cradles to Crayons launched in 2002 and has operations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The nonprofit provides children from birth through age 12 living in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school, and at play. They supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities that have with communities that need. Cradles to Crayons mobilizes communities of plenty on behalf of communities of need, recycling and reusing high-quality children’s goods and engaging thousands of youth and adults in tangible service activities each year that benefit local children. For more information, please visit https://cradlestocrayons.org/chicago.

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