Donate new PJs & books for kids in need at Vernon Area Library

Snuggling our children up in warm, cozy pajamas and reading a bedtime story is a nightly ritual in many of our homes. Extend that feeling of comfort and security to a child in foster care or a group home with a donation to The Pajama Program collection at the Vernon Area Public Library in Lincolnshire, Ill., between Nov. 10 and Nov. 23, 2012.

For their annual "Make a Difference" initiative, the library is partnering with the national nonprofit Pajama Program. The Pajama Program works primarily with foster care organizations and family shelters to provide books and bedclothes to children in need. Some of these children have never before owned a pair of pajamas.  

New pajamas are especially needed in winter, when children are most vulnerable to serious colds and illnesses. Warm, clean pajamas help to protect them against night chills and harmful conditions. The books the children read at bedtime go a long way in improving their reading level as well. Many have been removed from school for long periods of time and do not have access to books and their grade reading level is far lower than their peers.

Donations should be new, unused sets of pajamas (or a nightgown) for children from infants to 12 years old. New books may be paired with the pajamas, but it is not necessary to exactly match pajamas and books. Donations in either category are welcomed. Through the Pajama Program's Chicago chapter, items collected at the library's drive will be donated to One Hope United, a social service agency in Lake County, Ill.

Last year, library patrons donated 173 sets of pajamas and 239 new books during the drive. That number was achieved through a donation from the Neighbors and Newcomers of Long Grove and Kildeer, a local social organization. The group organized their own collection totaling nearly $1,000 worth of pajamas and books, which nearly doubled the community donation. 

About The Pajama Program

The Pajama Program is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides new, warm pajamas and new books to children in need in the United States and around the world. Since its inception, the Pajama Program has provided more than 1,000,000 new pajamas and new books to children in need, operating 63 chapters in 40 states throughout the U.S. The Pajama Program meets the Better Business Bureau's 20 charity standards, the highest ranking for non-profits. For more information, please visit http://pajamaprogram.org.