The Toasty Toes Pajama Project

With the holiday season fast approaching, I want to take this opportunity to introduce the Toasty Toes Pajama Project to you. Toasty Toes started in November of 2013.  I was about 7 months pregnant; it was sleeting like crazy and was delivering all the fixing for a Thanksgiving meal to a family in need. As my mom and I pulled up to the house, a small girl, no older than 4, came out to help us carry the food in. I’ll never forget her tiny face and wild blond hair.  She was in a t-shirt and was shivering but so grateful for the treats we brought for her and her family. As we got back in car to head home, I said to my mom, “It makes me sad to think that someone will adopt this family for Christmas and that little girl will receive many toys but probably doesn’t even have a warm pair of pajamas to sleep in on Christmas night.”  It was at that moment that I decided to make it my mission to ensure that every child in and around Schoharie County had a warm heart and toasty toes by the time their head hit the pillow on Christmas night. And just like that, Toasty Toes was born.

In 2013, we were able to collect and distribute (with the help of our head elf, Nancy) 125 pairs of pajamas and hot chocolate, wrapped with a ribbon. The stories started pouring in of children who were so excited to have their very first pair of new pajamas for Christmas. Can you imagine never having had a brand new pair of pajamas? I knew that heading into 2014, I wanted the project to grow and spread as far and wide as possible. In our second year, we were able to provide 473 (!!!!) children with pajamas, hot cocoa and a book. We had parents reaching out to us asking for a pair for their child and thankfully we didn’t have to turn away a single child.

So, here we are in our third season and we are hoping to make this our best year yet with a goal of 500 pairs of pajamas with 500 pairs of socks. I am asking for your help in this mission. We are collecting pajamas, socks and cash donations to make this possible. All donations will be distributed through local programs in the County and outlying areas. Each pair of pajamas costs us about $5 and every single penny counts! We are lucky enough to already have all our wrapping supplies, tissue and ribbons donated as well as all the hot chocolate.

I would like to ask you as you put your little one to bed tonight to think about how lucky we are that our children have a safe place to sleep and a warm pair of pajamas to wear.  

Please join us in helping to reach our goal of creating 5,000 toasty toes and warm hearts in our area.

            

                                                                                                Trista Bradt

                                                                                    Founder and Co-Chair Toasty Toes                                                                                                         Pajama Project

                                                                                            Fb.com/toastypjproject

 

Question ? [phone redacted]

[email redacted]

Donations can be mailed to: Toasty Toes,  PO Box 523, Cobleskill, NY 12043

Drop off locations: Carpets & Then Some, Cobleskill NY 12043

                                  Grapevine Farms, Cobleskill, NY 12043

                                  Clapper’s Glass Bar, Schoharie, NY 12157