Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Grassroots Giving

I have not posted for a long time - the busyness of life with my own three children and the ebbs and flows of life's balancing act.  But it is early morning at the lake in northern Michigan where I spend my summers, and there is something about this pristine, beautiful, and safe place that brings to sharper relief my thinking about those who live in poverty, fear, and need.  Stories of hardship strike a big chord here in a place where I feel safe and secure, surrounded by beauty.

While I have not written about our work in some time, it has continued at a steady pace.  We sell our beautiful children's pajamas to our loyal customers in New York City and throughout the United States, and with each sale we are able to fund collecting and giving pajamas around the world.  You can purchase our pajamas on our site www.bennisongives.com or on Amazon.  I receive hundreds of new and gently used pajama donations, and we give locally and to our U.S. based giving partners who bring our pajamas around the world to mothers and children in need.

To date, we have given approximately 4,000 pairs of pajamas to babies and children in need.  

These are just some of the children who have received our pajamas in the last 10 months:

- Lakota Sioux children living on reservations in South Dakota through the Native American Heritage Association

- Impoverished children and mothers in New York City served by Women in Need

- Low income pediatric patients served by Children of Bellevue at Bellevue Hospital in NYC

- Pediatric cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in NYC

- Homeless children living in transitional housing at Concourse House in the Bronx, NY

- Foster children served by Edwin Gould Services for Women and Children in Brooklyn, NY

- Low income children and children of migrant workers and members of the Ottawa/Chippewa Tribe in Leelanau County, Michigan, through Leelanau Christian Neighbors

We will continue to bring joy and jammies to children in need.  To learn more about these giving partners or more, see our website www.bennisongives.com.  Thank you for following our journey!