Thursday April 3, 2014 VOL. LV, ISSUE 23
Inside
Cradles to Crayons---quality and dignity for children in need JESSICA PARADYSZ / ASST. LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Maureen Sacaro pictured here in the Cradles to Crayons warehouse in Conshohocken, Pa.
WOMENS SOFTBALL PAGE 14
Cradles to Crayons workers and volunteers are compassionate and dedicated to aid low-income and homeless children during difficult economic times. Congress recently voted to cut funding for food stamps, significantly increasing the need in the Philadelphia region. As the government makes cuts for the most vulnerable, the nonprofit organization strives to help those in need. BY JESSICA PARADYSZ Asst. Lifestyles Editor
A
NEW FACES ON CAP BOARD PAGE 9
Online
www.theloquitur.com
SKANKY VS. SELF RESPECT PAGE 6
donation from a non-profit changed a homeless woman’s life. During a conference for Cradles to Crayons, the members of the team received a coincidental surprise. A woman walked up to the executive director, Michal Smith, and thanked her for the kid packages the organization sent. The woman, who explained that she was living in a homeless shelter with her two children a year before, was able to reform her life. She is currently an employee at the convention center and has a home with her children. The packs were a beacon of hope during a dark and trying time. “We don’t hear all of the stories,” Maureen Sacaro, development manager, said, “But we know that there are thousands of other people like that who are just going through a difficult time and they deserve the help they need to get back on their feet.” Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit organization located in Conshohocken, provides new and gently used clothing and items for those in need, free of charge, in the five county area. The 16,500 square foot and aptly named “giving factory” is full of brightly colored bags brimming with clothing. The
warehouse is immaculately organized, with separate sections for clothing, toys, infant supplies, books and diapers. The factory is filled with volunteers working diligently at stations, smiling with coworkers and placing the perfect outfits together. Sacaro, explains that the motto of the organization is “quality equals dignity,” which is blazoned across signs around the warehouse. She explains that all of the materials are carefully inspected before chosen to be sent in packages for deserving children in the area. “We are really focused on ensuring that we send items that are of high quality,” Sacaro said. “Because it affirms their dignity as people.” Volunteers must consider if they would give the toys, clothes or books to their own children or children they care for. This careful, loving approach guarantees that all children receive quality items. Volunteers from Norristown High School gathered one morning to carefully clean shoe donations, label the shoes with tags, and place them in corresponding, brightly-colored bins. 17,000 people volunteer their time every month at the warehouse. Cradles to Crayons runs approximately 1,000 collections a year. The organization operates through donations and in correspondence
with 240 human service organizations, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Abington, after-school programs, immigrant, refugee and domestic violence victims, homeless shelters and temporary housing organizations. Volunteers range from ages 6-96, and include local corporations, schools and individuals. As a non-profit, Cradles to Crayons does not receive government funding. However, economic issues and government cuts increase the need in the region. Poverty is primarily considered an inner-city problem, yet Sacaro explains the situation expands to a suburban issue. She added that poverty is often “invisible,” concealed by families on the outskirts of the city who are suffering from the recession, but are often overlooked. “Part of our mission is to engage and connect communities that have with communities that need," Sacaro said. According to Sacaro, the sheer amount of need for items significantly increases. “The need is prevalent in the Philadelphia area…the need for our services goes up because people are struggling,” Sacaro said. SEE CRADLES TO CRAYONS ON PAGE 8
Bethesda Project - Challenging the stigma of homelessness, saving children through art BY JESSICA PARADYSZ Asst. Lifestyles Editor
ALEX AND ANI BRACELETS PAGE 10
The homeless are often harshly stereotyped. People pass by them in Philadelphia, huddling in an alcove, sitting on the streets, asking for some food or kindness in the city of Brotherly Love. City people rush to go about their day, scoffing at the people in search of shelter and hope. They are lazy. They are sick. They chose to be this way. Yet these thoughts are not true. Many come from middle class backgrounds and fell into depression as a result of tragic situations. Linda Panetta, professor of photography courses at Cabrini College and a social justice advocate did not turn away from the homeless.
She remembers one day where she was walking around the city and she saw a man. They were separated by a large fence, which could symbolize the stereotypes of their different worlds. “I knew it was the right thing to do, and he immediately disarmed me by his total humility. He was so grateful for this one sandwich," Panetta said. Panetta offered the man a sandwich and talked to him, learned his name and story, and thus began her advocacy for the homeless. Panetta initiated a program to engage students and faculty to work with the homeless. SEE BETHESDA PROJECT ON PAGE 5