The 10th annual Pajama and Book Drive kicks off Oct. 1. And every recreation center in The Villages will have a big red box for Villagers to donate pajamas and books that will be distributed to the more than 6,000 homeless children in Lake, Marion and Sumter counties.
The effort, a service project of the Girl Scout Alumnae Silver Trefoil Group of The Villages, has grown every year. Last year, the drive gathered more than 6,184 pairs of pajamas and over 4,000 books. And the group has set an equally ambitious goal for 2018.
“It is great when we get extra pajamas,” said Judy Schober, Silver Trefoil member and publicity chair for the Pajama and Book Drive. “Because although the intention is to distribute them at Christmas time, sometimes we get a call in October from one of the agencies we work with for an immediate need – and we can help out. It can be a house fire or some other reason that means the children are leaving their home with only the clothes on they are wearing.”
The 6,000 homeless includes children living in hotels and cars.
“They are often sleeping in the same clothes they wear to school,” said Schober, adding that foster and migratory children are included in that number.
The Silver Trefoils partner with the Children’s Alliance for Lake and Sumter Counties and Social Services of Marion County schools for distribution of the collected items.
The donated pajamas and books should be new. The age range is from birth to high school. And monetary donations are welcome.
“We have a member who works with a distributor to buy wholesale, so we can always make good use of the cash donations,” Schober said.
Monetary donations can be made by sending a check made out to Silver Trefoil Girl Scout Group to Rae Ann Bethel, 2230 Sutton Terrace, The Villages, 32162.
The Book and Pajama Drive began in 2009 under the direction of Silver Trefoil member Mikki Blumberg. The first year 150 pairs of pajamas were collected. To date, the Silver Trefoil group has collected and distributed 32,348 pairs of pajamas and 24,572 books.
Boxes will be up in the recreation centers until Dec 10. For more information about the Pajama and Book Drive program, contact Judy Schober at 630-640-5386.
