Charles River Apparel Helps Local Students in Need

Charles River Apparel donated $17,500 to local charities Cradles to Crayons (C2C) and Catie’s Closet to help local kids and teens in need start the school year strong.

In addition to the $10,000 donation to C2C and the $7,500 to Catie’s Closet, Charles River Apparel also hosted two volunteer events at its home office. In August, the company assembled over 1,100 school kits with C2C and hosted a clothing drive with Catie’s Closet.

“As an apparel supplier, we know how important of a role clothing plays in personal expression and identity,” says Jason Lipsett, VP of strategic initiatives at Charles River Apparel. “We’re proud to support C2C and Catie’s Closet who work daily to ensure kids have the confidence, clothing, and resources to pursue their educational goals.”

Over 20 years, C2C — which serves families in Massachusetts, Chicagoland, Greater Philadelphia, NYC, and the San Francisco Bay Area through Giving Factory warehouses and virtually through Giving Factory Direct — has provided more than 4.5 million packages of essential items such as clothing, diapers, winter coats, school supplies, and more to support the growth and development of children under 12. While C2C has year-round initiatives in its effort to end Clothing Insecurity, its Ready for Learning initiative centers around the back-to-school season and preparing kids from head to toe.

“We are so grateful for this generous financial donation from Charles River Apparel, and their team’s volunteer time to help put together school supply kits,” states Aubrey Henderson, executive director of Cradles to Crayons—Massachusetts. “Support like this will help our Ready for Learning initiative set up more than 70,000 kids in Massachusetts for success in the new school year.”

Catie’s Closet also helps students in need by providing them with in-school access to free necessities in schools across Massachusetts and New Hampshire, pre-K through high school. Their annual clothing drive, Fill the Bus, encourages the local community to donate clothing, shoes, and hygiene products to help fuel this mission. This year, Charles River Apparel helped them fill a school bus with donations from the community.

“Support from our community and from local businesses is crucial to allowing us to adequately prepare for the demands of the back-to-school season,” says Mickey Cockrell, CEO and co-founder of Catie’s Closet. “We are so incredibly grateful to Charles River Apparel for their support during this year’s Fill the Bus as well as their sponsorship of our SOS Urgent Response Program. This support means children will have access to the essential items they need to thrive in school and in life.”

Through the SOS Urgent Response Program, Catie’s Closet partners with vetted social services agencies and other direct-service organizations to provide children transitioning between stable conditions with two weeks’ worth of clothing and hygiene products to meet their immediate needs. Charles River Apparel’s sponsorship of this program will continue to help students stay strong and confident throughout the year.