60 Pairs of Shoes “New” Again for Children in Need

A team of 13 Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU) employees volunteered at Cradles for Crayons in Newton on Friday May 20, sorting and cleaning more than 60 pairs of shoes to donate to children in need.

According to the Center for Progress, Massachusetts children rank third among all 50 states for inequality. The COVID-19 pandemic further widened the gap. There are no government programs dedicated to making sure children have basic clothing and hygiene products, but fortunately, there are organizations such as Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons provides children living in poverty everyday essentials such as backpacks, school supplies, clothing, shoes, and winter coats. So far, Cradles to Crayon has assisted more than 2 million children, and HUECU is proud to support their mission.

“Volunteering made me appreciate the basic necessities that we easily take for granted when we’re not the ones in need. It also made me happy to see so many other volunteers here helping out,” said Maloney Martinez, an HUECU volunteer. Cradles to Crayons’ next step is to expand on a national scale and “serve more than 20 million children.” To help the organization’s efforts to address the national children’s clothing insecurity, visit CradlestoCrayons.org.