A valley-wide pajama drive is kicking off Nov. 9 to help provide new pajamas for children in foster care this Christmas.
Organizers Jenny Escobedo and Patricia Kennedy are partnering with Peggys Attic and Clark County Family Services for the annual drive. The goal is to collect pajamas for children ranging from infants to teens.
Escobedo said the organizers collected more than 1,000 pajamas last year. This year, they hope to double that amount.
Last year we got over 1,000 this year I said were gonna get over 2,000, and I think we might exceed that, Escobedo said.
Clark County Family Services estimates about 3,600 children are currently in foster care in the county. The department says community drives help children feel seen and valued while also easing the financial burden on foster and kinship caregivers.
WATCH | Las Vegas pajama drive aims to bring comfort to children in foster care this Christmas Las Vegas Valley Christmas Pajama Drive for Foster Children
Kennedy, a former foster care parent, said some children enter foster care with very few belongings.
They dont come with anything the kids that we took in. They came with a duffel bag and it was full of a couple of toys. Maybe we had three pairs of boxers, one pair of socks, Kennedy said.
The drive runs from Nov. 9 through Dec. 4. Organizers plan to place nearly 40 drop-off boxes throughout the Las Vegas valley. Donations must be new pajamas in infant through teen sizes.
Community members can also donate through an Amazon wishlist, allowing pajamas to be shipped directly to the organizers.
The pajamas will be distributed at Clark County Family Services annual GIVE JOY Toy and Gift event in mid-December.
Escobedo said pajamas can provide children with something they can use beyond the holiday itself.
They have the toys and they have the games they have all these things but now they have the pajamas that they can wear every day if they want or just for Christmas, Escobedo said.
The drive has expanded from 20 drop-off locations last year to nearly 40 this year.
For a complete list of drop-off locations, QR code access to the Amazon wishlist and additional information on how to donate, visit ChristmasPJDrive.com.