Start-up funds for Instant RePlay
Donation protected
More than 125,000 children in Philadelphia grow up in poverty. Of these, nearly 60,000 live in deep poverty. Under these conditions, basic resources are in jeopardy, and for kids, play is a vital part of childhood.
What is so important about play? Play supports critical aspects of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. We learn problem-solving, strategy, coordination, cooperation, patience, resilience, and experimentation through play. Without access to toys and games in their early years, children in poverty run the risk of growing into young adults who struggle to compete in a larger society that demands the ability to collaborate, strategize, think creatively, and problem-solve. Simple toys can have profound impacts!
I'm creating Instant RePlay to help make a difference. Instant RePlay is a program in which various schools and organizations conduct collections of gently used/new toys and games for kids 4-10 years old. The collections are then sorted by volunteers to ensure that the items are clean and complete. Donations are then delivered to organizations such as the Children's Crisis Treatment Center and Smith Playground that work with low-income families to be distributed free-of-charge.
The goals of Instant RePlay are three-fold:
(1) to keep vital resources in circulation between communities that have and communities that need;
(2) to give low-income children and families easy access to play resources and the diverse skills that they encourage; and
(3) to create the possibility of compassion and playfulness throughout Philadelphia communities.
The start-up funds I am requesting will go to creating the collection bins, signage, and publicity for the program, as well as purchasing cleaning supplies and supporting transportation costs.
What is so important about play? Play supports critical aspects of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. We learn problem-solving, strategy, coordination, cooperation, patience, resilience, and experimentation through play. Without access to toys and games in their early years, children in poverty run the risk of growing into young adults who struggle to compete in a larger society that demands the ability to collaborate, strategize, think creatively, and problem-solve. Simple toys can have profound impacts!
I'm creating Instant RePlay to help make a difference. Instant RePlay is a program in which various schools and organizations conduct collections of gently used/new toys and games for kids 4-10 years old. The collections are then sorted by volunteers to ensure that the items are clean and complete. Donations are then delivered to organizations such as the Children's Crisis Treatment Center and Smith Playground that work with low-income families to be distributed free-of-charge.
The goals of Instant RePlay are three-fold:
(1) to keep vital resources in circulation between communities that have and communities that need;
(2) to give low-income children and families easy access to play resources and the diverse skills that they encourage; and
(3) to create the possibility of compassion and playfulness throughout Philadelphia communities.
The start-up funds I am requesting will go to creating the collection bins, signage, and publicity for the program, as well as purchasing cleaning supplies and supporting transportation costs.
Organizer
Virginia Mattingly Friedman
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA