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K.I.D.S. gets $480k in product, grants at ABC Expo

-- Kids Today, 10/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

NEW YORK– The charity Kids in Distressed Situations secured nearly $330k worth of juvenile product at this year’s ABC Kids Expo, with more than 100 exhibitors donating show inventory at the end of the event. The non-profit also received a $150k grant from All Baby & Child, which organizes the show.

The new product donations were distributed to homeless shelters, centers for abused and neglected children and other programs through the Las Vegas social services system. Much of the juvenile product was also distributed to local military bases.

“We are so grateful to ABC and the exhibitors for their ongoing support of children and families in need,” said Peter Rosenthal, K.I.D.S. board chairman.

“K.I.D.S. provides an opportunity for the industry to 'Give Back in Brand New Ways’ as we say,” he continued. “The need is greater than ever before, and juvenile-related products are in high demand, especially among the populations our agencies serve.”

The new product collected includes toys, blankets, baby bottles, cribs, bedding, furniture, strollers, car seats, books and other items.

K.I.D.S. also announced that they will continue providing help to military families and others in need, thanks to generous donations of juvenile products from the ABC Kids Expo exhibitors and the grant from ABC. This is the fourth year in a row that ABC has provided the grant, helping K.I.D.S. to distribute over $6 million worth of donated juvenile product in that time.

“Since 2006, ABC has provided K.I.D.S. with an annual grant helping to provide over $1.5 million worth of juvenile product every year to needy families, with first priority going to families on military bases,” said Ken Goore, ABC Kids Expo board chairman. “We are proud to continue supporting their work on behalf of our industry and call on each company to follow our example.”

During the show, K.I.D.S. also announced a new partnership with Communities in Schools, a national initiative that helps prevent children from dropping out of school. Chaired by Elaine Wynn, the mission of CIS is to champion the connection of needed community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life.

CIS brings resources into the schools to allow for integrated educational, social and health services, providing the link between educators and the community. This provides students in jeopardy of dropping out access to support services, allowing them to focus more on learning.

The Las Vegas community will be the first place to benefit from product provided to CIS programs around the country.

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