Spokane, Wash. – Foster children are sometimes placed into new homes with only the clothes on their backs. That was the case for five-year-old Gordon when he first came to Hope Mayer’s foster care.
“He came with literally what he was wearing, and it was just a T-shirt and a diaper, not anything else,” Hope said.
Gordon was able to borrow clothes from a neighbor, and then, it was a special surprise when he received something new, something picked just for him: a pair of pajamas.
“I felt more safe and comfortable,” Gordon said about receiving his pajamas.
Those feelings Gordon experienced opening his new pajamas are why Jessica McSteen placed donation bins inside all five of the 16 Cents 3 Shows & 5 Socks stores around town. From now until December 18th, Crafts is collecting new pajamas to donate to local foster children.
“We are thrilled and honored to help these kids,” McSteen said, who added that her inspiration for giving back to the community is her brother.
“Spokane helped him get out of his dark days, and he wants to give back,” McSteen said.
Pajamas collected at her store locations this month will be distributed by Embrace Washington to local foster children and other families that benefit.
“Not only will they go to foster families we work with, but we’ll be taking some to Teen and Kid Closet, which is our partner,” Embrace Washington’s co-founder, Alene Alexander, said.
Terri Crafts, the executive director of the organization, said that this time of year, the Spokane community sees a lot of children entering foster care and that she is grateful for the community supporting these children through drives like this one.
“This is a great example of an easy way in which you can contribute to children who are desperate to feel loved and safe and comfortable,” Crafts said, “and all it requires is for you to buy a pair of pajamas.”
The 5 locations of 16 Cents, 3 Shoes, & 5 Socks accepting pajama donations until Dec. 18th are:
1233 N Division Street15303 E Sprague Avenue6821 N Division Street2006 N Ash Street13514 W Sunset Highway
