First Quality® and Cradles to Crayons® Surpass $1 Million Milestone in Partnership to Fight Childhood Poverty
Portion of all Cuties® diaper sales help provide essentials for babies and children in need
GREAT NECK, NY and BOSTON, MA (Dec. 21, 2022) — First Quality® and Cradles to Crayons® have reached a milestone in their partnership: more than $1 million donated to fight childhood poverty. A portion of all of First Quality’s Cuties® diaper sales helps Cradles to Crayons provide babies and children with the essential items they need to thrive at home, at school, and at play.
The partnership began in 2021 during a critical time in the pandemic, when many families were struggling to find and afford essentials such as diapers. Today, 1 in 3 U.S. families continue to face diaper need, and 20 million children live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. One in 2 American families with children are currently unable to cover their required basic living expenses. In addition to diapers, Cradles to Crayons provides children with clothing, coats, shoes, school supplies, and other basic essentials.
“The need for diapers remains urgent—and we expect that to continue. We have distributed nearly 5 million diapers in the first half of this fiscal year – a 130% increase compared to the same period last year,” said Lynn Margherio, Cradles to Crayons founder and CEO. “First Quality shares our belief that everyone deserves access to the everyday essentials they need to thrive. Together, we are supporting parents and caregivers so that kids can grow up healthy, safe, and comfortable.”
Cradles to Crayons strives to connect communities as part of its mission, engaging volunteers to collect new and high-quality used children’s goods. Donations are processed and packaged by volunteers at its Giving Factory locations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, and distributed through its network of more than 500 service partners. Additionally, through its direct donation online platform, Giving Factory Direct, supporters can fight clothing insecurity from anywhere by shipping outfits and coats directly to a child—now also serving New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. So far, Cradles to Crayons has hosted more than 29,000 volunteers this fiscal year, supporting the distribution of more than 600,000 packages of essential items.
“First Quality team members have experienced Cradles to Crayons’ impact firsthand as volunteers and we appreciate how they engage communities in their mission,” said Sima Delafraz, chief commercial officer at First Quality. “We know that when Cradles to Crayons provides a child with diapers, a backpack, or a warm coat, it is ultimately helping them to grow and reach their full potential. We are proud to continue to support this vital work.”
About First Quality
The First Quality family of companies is a closely held, diversified group of companies manufacturing, selling and distributing branded and private label absorbent hygiene, paper and packaging products into the healthcare, retail and commercial channels. First Quality is dedicated to meeting the demands of the market by providing innovative and high-quality products manufactured utilizing state-of-the-art technology. For more information, please visit www.firstquality.com
About Cuties
Cuties® is First Quality’s own brand of baby care products, created for a new generation of parents with the highest standards of quality, efficiency and value. Thoughtfully designed and responsibly made, Cuties products are designed to be super-soft, super-absorbent and super-safe for babies’ sensitive skin. Learn more by visiting www.cuties.com
Cuties ® is a registered trademark of First Quality Baby Products, LLC.
About Cradles to Crayons®
Cradles to Crayons® (C2C®) believes that all children deserve the essentials they need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued. Founded in 2002, Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school, and at play—for free. Cradles to Crayons collects and distributes new and high-quality used children’s goods by engaging and connecting communities. C2C sets a gold standard of individual, family, and corporate volunteer engagement, and through its “Giving Factories®” provides unique, hands-on opportunities to directly help local families. Headquartered in Boston, MA, C2C opened in Philadelphia in 2007, Chicago in 2016, and New York City via an innovative online platform, Giving Factory Direct (GFD), in 2020. For more information, visit www.cradlestocrayons.org
Media Contacts:
First Quality: media@firstquality.com
Cradles to Crayons: Kirsten Sims, ksims@cradlestocrayons.org