Plea for pj’s: Program seeks donations

By Harold Gwin

As it turns out, children’s sleepwear is an item in high demand at local shelters.

BOARDMAN — A lot of groups collect items for shelters and other charities.

It’s generally food and sometimes clothing, but a Boardman teacher who is also a graduate student at Youngstown State University has determined there is a specific unmet need to be filled: pajamas.

Cristina Oslin, a Title I program teacher at West Boulevard Elementary, was looking for a community project that the YSU chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, the International Honor Society for Graduate Students in Counseling, could undertake.

She is pursuing a master’s of education in counseling at YSU, where she also earned her undergraduate degree in education.

Oslin said it is customary for the 40-member chapter to have a charitable project each year, and, after making some calls, she found out that what local public shelters need besides food for the holidays is children’s pajamas.

The result was the launch of the “Pajama Program,” which is seeking new or gently used pajamas for those living in shelters.

Oslin said she recalled hearing of a similar project about a decade ago.

The drive is primarily looking for pajamas for infants and children but is accepting the garments for women and men as well, she said. It has also branched out to include children’s books and craft materials, she said.

Donation boxes have been set up at West Boulevard Elementary, the Mahoning County Educational Service Center’s Little Penguins Daycare at YSU and Boardman Nissan at 7809 Market St. Contributions will be accepted through the first week of December.

Oslin said she learned that the car dealership, under new ownership since May, was looking to partner with a local charity in some way, so she contacted the business about the Pajama Program, which will primarily benefit The Beatitude House. Overflow items will be directed to other local shelters.

The dealership was more than willing to help out and, to encourage donations, is offering five $1,000 cash giveaways to the public, she said. Anyone can fill out a card to enter the random drawings at the dealership, Oslin said, noting that making a donation to the cause isn’t a requirement.

The company has also said it will make a $5,000 contribution to The Beatitude House when the Pajama Program presents its donations to the shelter Dec. 16.

Contributions have been arriving steadily since the effort began in September, Oslin said, adding that she would like to see the program become an annual event.

That’s a plan supported by Boardman Nissan. The goal is to get more businesses to participate and make this a successful drive that will be a continued yearly holiday relief effort, said spokesman Matthew Beggs.

gwin@vindy.com