Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Initiative by Cradles to Crayons, Horizons for Homeless Children, and Neighborhood Villages to Provide Families Receiving Emergency Assistance with Winter Essentials

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today a new initiative by local nonprofits Cradles to Crayons, Horizons for Homeless Children, and Neighborhood Villages to provide winter coats, hats, gloves, diapers, multilingual books, school supplies, and play kits to an estimated 10,000 children 12 and under currently housed with their families in the Massachusetts Emergency Assistance system.

“As the weather gets colder, I am grateful to Cradles to Crayons, Horizons for Homeless Children and Neighborhood Villages for providing coats, hats, other winter essentials and educational materials to children staying in shelters,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This holiday season, I’m feeling particularly grateful for the kindness of the people of Massachusetts, who always step up to lend a helping hand to those who need it most.” 

“This initiative is truly a reflection of how local nonprofits and volunteers can come together and step up for families and children in times of need. Together, we will ensure that our kids have the winter essentials they need to stay warm and safe, while promoting learning and educational opportunities so kids can grow and thrive,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. 

“Every child deserves to be warm, safe, and housed—these are hierarchical needs that must be met before any learning can occur,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “Aligned with our goals to stabilize, heal, and transform our education system, this initiative will ensure that our most vulnerable children have a chance to focus this winter on playing and learning instead of the cold.”  

“In addition to meeting children’s immediate physical needs, we also know that the ability for young children to explore, play and learn is essential to their healthy development,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “I am thankful to these nonprofits and volunteers for ensuring that our youngest learners are not only warm and safe but also have access to culturally appropriate educational materials, books and toys.” 

Cradles to Crayons, Horizons for Homeless Children, and Neighborhood Villages have created the Migrant Children Emergency Fund to acquire and transport essential goods and educational materials to the families currently housed in the Massachusetts Emergency Assistance system. The goal of this emergency response is to provide essentials, including appropriate clothes for Massachusetts winters, so these children can stay warm and feel prepared to thrive. Goods are being sourced in bulk and then stored at the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory in Newton. There, volunteers are helping to organize and prepare each kit for distribution. Transportation of the items begins today and will take place daily to shelters around the state going forward. Once delivered, shelter staff and members of the Massachusetts National Guard will coordinate distribution among families and children. 
 
“Cradles to Crayons believes that all children deserve the essentials they need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued,” said Aubrey Henderson, Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons Massachusetts. “Our help has been requested by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care, as part of a statewide effort, and we are responding to this emergency clothing need,” she added. “We’re stronger together. This is why we are combining resources to meet this emergency need for winter clothing in the migrant community before the extreme cold weather arrives. We are thankful to our partners Horizons for Homeless Children and Neighborhood Villages, as well as to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for its unwavering support.”  
 
“Horizons for Homeless Children has worked directly with children experiencing the trauma of homelessness living in the shelter system for 35 years,” said Kate Barrand, President & CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children. “The emerging shelter crisis has been a natural place for us to bring our expertise to bear, meeting the needs of children and families. We will continue to be a vital part of the ongoing efforts and solutions to mitigate the trauma of this experience for every child in Massachusetts. We couldn’t have found better partners to operationalize the response than Neighborhood Villages and Cradles to Crayons.” 
 
“As we rally together to figure out how to best serve the community during this time, Neighborhood Villages is committed to addressing the long-term needs of families with young children — especially those who have experienced the trauma of homelessness,” said Sarah Muncey, Co-President of Neighborhood Villages. “We are fortunate to find great partners in Cradles to Crayons and Horizons for Homeless Children to keep our youngest safe and warm this holiday season.”
 
To learn more about this initiative to support migrant children in Massachusetts, please visit https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/boston/migrantchildrenemergencyfund.

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