On March 2 and 3, I joined “Cradles to Crayons” volunteer work for two days. Then, I learned that clothing donations have many positive effects, such as reducing climate change, helping children in poverty, and protecting children’s self-esteem.
On the first day, I sorted children’s clothing for girls between 8 and 12. The next day, I sorted and bagged the clothes by gender and clothing type. During the activity, the staff told me that I should not bag any stained or scratched clothes or any clothes with family or season-related designs. This is because many of the children who receive the clothes suffer from poverty and orphans, and the clothes may cause them to think seriously about their situations. I was most surprised that this clothing donation has taken care not to violate the children’s self-esteem.
Through this volunteering, I learned Cradles to Crayons considered reducing the carbon emissions associated with clothing disposal by promoting “Reuse” and “Reduce.” This is related to our research on Climate Action. In addition, I learned the importance of the support that takes into account the circumstances of others.
I would like to learn more about Cradles to Crayons’ pajama donation with sports teams. I would recommend this research mission to anyone interested in children, poverty, compassion, and philanthropy.
Misaki Kuramochi