Philadelphia is preparing for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here's how to help nonprofit Cradles to Crayons.
Organizations in the Philadelphia region are gearing up for a weekend of sharing to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. before Monday's national holiday. The giving factory Cradles to Crayons in Philadelphia is giving back to children.
"We are helping about 300,000 children annually in the region," Cradles to Crayons executive director Michal Smith said.
As CBS News Philadelphia walked through the factory, piles of clothes were sorted to accommodate children of all ages.
Smith said there is still so much more that Cradles to Crayons needs to support kids, especially in the Philadelphia region.
The need only increases as temperatures continue to drop — relief isn't expected over the next week either.
"We need warm clothing now, especially boys' pants. We're about 7,000 short on coats," Smith said. "We need warm gloves and hats. We know it's going to snow this weekend."
According to Smith, Cradles to Crayons is based on a volunteer model.
"We couldn't do it without the community," Smith said. "We engage volunteers on a regular basis."
Smith said Cradles to Crayons has 19 collection locations throughout the Philadelphia region for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"It's so funny. I was looking at a sign from a collection in 2015 for Martin Luther King Day," Smith said. "And on that day, we were talking about serving 53,000 children annually. This year, we're going to serve 350,000 children. The need is enormous and anyone in the community can help."
Donations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be accepted on Monday, Jan. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The nonprofit's website has a list of locations.
