Thursday, March 28, 2024

Rockenbaugh Students Donate Bedtime Books

Rockenbaugh Elementary School students recently celebrated pajama day by collecting books and sleepwear for families who might not otherwise be able to afford such luxuries.

Students and staff collected 400 pairs of pajamas and 230 books through “B.J.’s P.J.s,” named after B.J. Brown, an RES parent who organized the effort. Donations went to Community Storehouse, The Alliance for Children and The Villages of Samaritan House.

Brown says she began B.J.’s PJs when her kids were in preschool and she learned that many area schools don’t have PJ Day because some families can’t afford them. She started asking for donations in 2008 and each year the effort has grown bigger.

“For kids whose parents are on welfare, or just simply going through a rough patch, or perhaps have lost everything, or maybe have to live in a shelter to stay safe, buying new pajamas for kids is low on the list of things to buy for them,” she says.

“I think that by giving the kids something they can feel comfy in, something that is exciting to them and by getting a good night’s sleep, these kids may feel better about life.”

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