Creating Social Value Blog / Service in Action

Krisandra Bianca Cuenta @ Cradles to Crayons

As the newest member of the Cradles to Crayons clan, I was extremely nervous for my first day. I knew that the other members were a tight-knit group and I was afraid that I wouldn’t fit in quite right. But little did I know that the events to come would really prove that I belonged to this family. It took us a car ride full of laughter and wrong turns until we finally arrived at Cradles to Crayons. I’m not too sure what I was expecting, but I definitely know that it was nothing that I ever imagined. The inside looked like a warehouse. When I walked in, I was greeted by isles of packaged clothes, toys, art supplies, books, hats and gloves, and shoes. As I walked farther back, I was able to see exactly where and how these packages were made. My first station for the morning was hats and gloves. Naturally, I had no idea what this meant, but luckily I was partnered with Derishai, who helped me every step of the way. I met some wonderful women, who offered their time to help us sort through the hats and gloves and package them. I was impressed by the fact that of all the places that these women could be, they decided to volunteer their time at Cradles to Crayons. One thing that still resounds with me is something that one of the mothers said, “Just by ensuring that the hats, gloves, and scarves match really shows the families that someone cares about them.” It was only after I heard this that I realized the importance of the work that happens at Cradles to Crayons. Then, I literally got to see exactly how to shop for the families that need specific items. This was the first time that I was part of the behind the scenes process. Although I will never meet the children I am shopping or packaging hats and gloves for, it’s an amazing feeling knowing that our work is bettering their lives in some way.