SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Keisha Woods stepped out of the Universal Audenried Charter School gym at 33rd and Tasker streets with an armful of new pajamas for her three kids — a shred of comfort in an otherwise uncomfortable year.
“It will be something that I can wrap up and something they can wear on Christmas Eve,” she said.
Woods and other South Philadelphia families picked up new winter fleece pajamas for free through the nonprofit Half A Million Kids, which works with foster and homeless children.
The donation came to Half A Million Kids by way of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. When Jay-Z brought his Made in America festival to Philadelphia in 2011, he connected with the nonprofit.
Roc Nation facilitated the donation of 10,000 new fleece pajamas, 6,000 of which were distributed at Universal Audenried on Wednesday.
Leah Stauffer with Half A Million Kids said the donation comes at a time when nonprofits are struggling.
“Particularly today in a COVID world, a lot of the giving has stopped,” she said. “People can’t connect and be live, so how do you even coordinate giving away pajamas like this? And I think there’s a deficit in this world right now.”
Parents like Woods said the gesture goes a long way. Pajamas can be pricey, and it’s harder to shop during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The worst year ever,” she said. “I want it to hurry up. I want to forget this year, so hopefully ’21 will be way better.”
“A lot of people don't have the money,” added parent Ranisha Johnson. “It has been very, very difficult financially, and every little bit helps. This right here has helped a whole bunch.”
“Doing this is exactly what our vision and mission is,” said Universal Audenried Interim Principal Josh Anderson, “to become a place where the community can come together to get not only education but also the resources they need to be successful.”