By Heather Turner
The Learning Experience® (TLE®), the nation’s fastest growing early learning academy, held a clothing drive at its Princeton Center for the Rescue Mission of Trenton, which raised a 30.63 cubic-foot box full of clothing and shoes for infants, children, men and women – the equivalent to filling four average-sized bath tubs. The students and parents from the Center participated in the clothing drive.
As part of preschool’s philanthropic curriculum, the first aimed at this age group in the country, teachers at the Center discussed the donation drive during ‘circle time’ and explained how kind it is for the children to donate clothing and shoes to children in need. The students then helped their parents’ pack the items at home and then took the items to the Center to place in the donation box.
“The philanthropy program teaches the children compassion, empathy and kindness. This program opens their eyes and minds to the idea that other people need help, and working together we can all have a hand in the overall goal. The children were all so excited to our donation box filling up and it them feel happy and proud within themselves that there were able to help those at the Rescue Mission,” says Jessica McKenna, Center Director at TLE® Princeton.
With nearly 25 percent of the population in Trenton living under the poverty line, the Rescue Mission of Trenton assists a countless number of men, women and children by providing a safe, clean and warm refuge with quality care and support. Just in 2012-2013, the Mission distributed 6,850 items of clothing and furniture to the homeless and less fortunate, making the efforts at TLE® Princeton much needed.
