Thousands of children in the Philadelphia area don’t have the luxury of getting the clothes, books or toys that they need. One Yardley teen is helping to change that.

Alexa Cohen, a freshman at Pennsbury High School, is collecting gently used clothing, books and toys to distribute to disadvantaged kids – and her efforts are making a big impact on kids in the region.

It all started simply enough. While cleaning out closets, Alexa noticed there were lots of things she no longer used that were still as good as new.

Hating to be “wasteful,” and realizing the items could help other kids, she did some research to find organizations that would take the items to distribute to kids that really needed them.

Finding organizations willing to take used items, rather than new ones or monetary donations, wasn’t as easy as she thought – especially finding ones that would give the donated items directly to needy kids rather than selling them. But once she found the types of organizations she was looking for, she knew friends and neighbors would also have items they no longer used that could help these kids.

All she needed to do was ask.

Alexa distributed flyers, texted and sent emails asking for donations – and the response was overwhelming. Her garage filled up quickly and it took multiple trips in her mom’s SUV to transport the clothing, shoes, books and toys she collected. People were actually thanking her for finding a good “home” for their discarded stuff!

She combed through donations to make sure items were directed to organizations that could actually use them. Most of the clothing, books and toys went to Cradles to Crayons, a local non-profit organization that 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. 

Items they couldn’t use, such as stuffed animals, DVDs or holiday-themed books, were separated to give to other organizations that could provide a new home for them. 

Alexa also began volunteering her time at Cradles to Crayons. During her first visit, the coordinator explained how each item was personally inspected and chosen for a particular child that wouldn’t otherwise have the items they needed.

Although the warehouse appeared to be filled with donations, she learned that there were some items that they simply couldn’t get enough of to meet demand. Some children couldn’t get a pair of winter boots because there weren’t enough to meet the need.

Clothing for older boys was in short supply, so putting together a “Kid Pack” of outfits, enough to clothe a child for a week, was difficult. New sock and underwear donations only provided each child with three pairs, needed to last a week. Learning more about the growing need made Alexa want to do more to help.

Alexa’s continuing efforts, which she is calling “Clutter Connection,” are now focused on spreading the word so that more donations can be collected. She has contacted schools in the area, asking them to get involved. She’s received some positive responses and one school has already scheduled a school-wide donation drive.

She is also hoping to find a local business willing to accept donations of gently used items, since logistics is proving to be a bit of a problem when she gets offers of donations from people she doesn’t know. 

“It’s crazy how many kids don’t have the basic things many of us just take for granted,” explains Alexa. “I know there are lots of people in our area that have items they no longer use that could help these kids. I’m just trying to find a way to connect people’s unneeded items with kids that really need them.”

For more information about Clutter Connection, or to join Alexa’s efforts, visit her website at http://clutterconnection.org.

PHOTO CAP: Alexa Cohen