Photos: Cradles to Crayons Donations Help 3,100 Boys and Girls

Volunteers sifted through bags of clothes, toys, books and more in the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School cafeteria on Saturday, sorting donations given through the week-long drive for Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit that supports children in need.

Clear plastic bags were taped around tables and marked with clothing sizes, while other tables filled up with shoes, toys and books, as volunteers emptied out bags of donations collected at sites throughout Melrose. It's the second year that Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, has organized a Cradles to Crayons (C2C) drive in the city.

C2C founder Lynn Margherio told volunteers on Saturday morning that the organization has 3,100 requests from boys and girls across the state. Those requests, which will be filled by Dec. 22, are as specific as "Sally, who wears a size 7/8, needs a winter coat."

Margheiro got the idea of founding C2C in 2002 as an aunt of nine nieces and nephews in Michigan. She said that it would "shock" her how quickly her nieces and nephews out grew their clothes and toys.

"There's so much locked away in closest and playrooms," she said. "If we could get them down the street to our neighbors who need them, what a difference we could make."

The donations were taken to C2C's "Giving Factory" in Quincy, where they'll fulfill the requests the non-profit has received. C2C will be moving to a new Giving Factory in Brighton next year that Margheiro said will more than double the number of requests the organizations can handle.

Margheiro told Melrose Patch that the organization accepts donations year-round and that drives such as last week's Melrose drive help support the non-profit during its busiest season—winter, when children are in need of winter coats, boots, hats and mittens. The organization also needs volunteers at the Giving Factory.

To find a C2C donation drop-off location and the items accepted at that location, check this page on C2C's website.