My daughter carried about a dozen pairs of jeans and cords recently extracted from the piles in her closet. When we walked up to the collection bin the sign said they had collected over 980 pairs of pants. After they counted up ours, two younger kids came and were excited to throw in the pants that put them over the goal of 1,000.
As huge as the pile of pants was, we learned that this is really only two days worth of the pants they need. They provide clothing, toys, bedding, car seats, diapers and other items for over 500 kids each week in East King County. 140 local agencies count on them when kids, pregnant women and new parents are in need. This allows social workers, Head Start teachers, pastors and others to spend their time how they should, rather than seeking donations and tracking down needed items at the store. The best part is it is provided for free.
What started as a small vision has grown into a much needed support. With 5 paid staff and over 1000 volunteer hours each month, it is an impressive operation. Some of the things we learned:
- Pants are their most needed item
- They are always short on bibs and crib sheets (Want to come over and sew some bibs?)
- They need bigger kids warm hats and have plenty of baby hats
- They need bedding for kids because homeless shelters don't provide it - When they put the bedding packs together they roll a large stuffed animal inside for the kids.
- They also provide maternity clothes and need donations
- Adult volunteers are especially needed
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