A silent crisis: Cradles to Crayons initiative works to close clothing insecurity gap for kids

Spring has sprung and it’s time to throw open the windows, air out the house and clean out those closets.

If you find yourself with an excess of clothes your children have outgrown, consider donating them to Cradles to Crayons. The nonprofit takes those donations and redistributes them to area providers to help close the inadequate clothing gap for kids.

While donations are accepted year round, the Spring Greening Initiative goes through the end of April. There are drop-off locations in Buffalo Grove, Naperville, Waukegan, Highland Park, Wheeling, Grayslake, Downers Grove and Glencoe, as well as the main Cradles to Crayons-Chicago Giving Factory at 2500 W. Bradley Place.

“At Cradles to Crayons, we believe that no child should go without the essentials they need to thrive. Clothing insecurity is a silent crisis impacting millions of children across the country, but it’s also a solvable one,” said Cradles to Crayons Executive Director Dawn Melchiorre in an email.

“Our work ensures that children living in poverty, homelessness, or low-income situations have access to the clothing and basics they need, allowing them to better focus in school, engage with their peers and reach their full potential. With the help of the community, we’re working toward a future where every child can grow with confidence and thrive at home, at school and at play.”

Melchiorre talks more about Cradles to Crayons and how you can help with its Spring Greening Initiative.

Q: What is Cradles to Crayons?

A: Cradles to Crayons is the only large-scale nonprofit that provides essential items — including clothing, school supplies, diapers and hygiene products — for free to children facing homelessness, crisis or low-income situations. Our mission is to end clothing insecurity.

Founded in 2002, Cradles to Crayons redistributes free, high-quality, new and gently used clothing items through a network of local service providers to support communities in Chicagoland, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, New York City and San Francisco.

Clothing is a basic necessity. Without adequate clothing, children face social and academic barriers that hinder their ability to participate fully in daily life. Across most of the United States, only three (food, housing, energy) of four basic needs are supported by government safety net programs. Cradles to Crayons works to close this gap by providing families with essential resources at no cost.

Q: How many people do you serve each year?

A: Cradles to Crayons-Chicago distributes more than 300,000 packages of essential supplies to children each year. Since its founding in 2002, the national nonprofit has distributed more than 6 million packages of essentials to children in need across the country, including nearly 1 million annually.

Despite these efforts, the demand continues to grow. Many children in Chicago lack properly fitting shoes, adequate winter coats, or the necessary school supplies, making it difficult for them to engage in daily activities with confidence.

Q: Where do the majority of your funds come from to support your work?

A: New and gently used children’s items are collected through grassroots community drives and corporate donations. Donations are then processed and packaged by volunteers in one of our warehouses, The Giving Factory. Packages from the Giving Factories are then distributed to local children through our collaborative network of diverse service partners.

We rely on financial contributions from the community, in-kind donations from our corporate sponsors and volunteer efforts to sustain our mission. Donations help sustain year-round operations and ensure a steady supply of essential clothing items.

Q: Tell us about the Spring Greening Initiative.

A: Spring Greening is Cradles to Crayons-Chicago’s annual initiative aimed at addressing clothing insecurity while promoting sustainability. As families clean out their closets for the new season, this effort encourages the community to donate gently used children’s clothing, ensuring that kids have access to essential apparel at no cost.

Beyond providing critical resources to children, Spring Greening also combats textile waste, which has surged 60% over the past 15 years due to fast-changing fashion trends and consumer demand. Cradles to Crayons diverts more than half a million pounds of clothing from landfills annually, ensuring that items in good condition are reused. At the same time, those that don’t meet quality standards are responsibly recycled or repurposed by our service partners.

Q: How can readers help your organization?

A: There are multiple ways to contribute:

Q: What else would you like readers to know?

A: Grounded in the value of communities helping communities, Cradles to Crayons has mobilized more than 700,000 volunteers since 2002, including individuals, families, and corporate teams. C2C is among the few nonprofits in the country that welcome volunteers as young as 5 years old, creating space for families to serve together and building the next generation of change makers.

Clothing insecurity is a crisis that affects more than 20 million children across the U.S. A lack of access to adequate, appropriate, affordable clothing contributes to three of the top 10 reasons kids miss school, underscoring the broader impact of unmet basic needs. By thinking twice before discarding outgrown clothing, individuals can make a direct difference in a child’s life.

To learn more or get involved, visit cradlestocrayons.org/chicago/.