The pajama drive is a philanthropic classroom program offered through Scholastic Book Clubs that aims to teach kids the value of giving and the power of reading. The annual Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive is the largest pajama drive in Pajama Program’s history. Classrooms across America have collected and donated more than 850,000 pajamas since 2009. Scholastic Book Clubs has more than matched those numbers with a donation to Pajama Program that exceeds 1.25 million books during that same period.
Pajama Program is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes and supports a comforting bedtime routine and healthy sleep for children to help them thrive. Since 2001, Pajama Program has delivered more than 7 million good nights for good days to children facing adversity by providing new pajamas, storybooks, and resources for caregivers. Pajama Program offers bedtime resources and sleep education nationwide, as well as through local programs in New York City, Atlanta, and metro Detroit. To achieve its mission, Pajama Program relies on a national network of volunteers, generous donors, and partnerships with 4,000 community-based organizations across the United States, including Puerto Rico.
The pajamas and books are helping children facing adversity (ages 0-18) throughout the country. Housing instability, low family income, and other crisis situations make them uniquely vulnerable as bedtime approaches. Every night in America, too many children do not get the sleep they need, compromising their health, school performance, and emotional well-being. Sleep is as essential as proper nutrition and exercise for helping children learn and grow. A comforting bedtime routine helps children get the healthy sleep they need.
Providing these bedtime basics-a cozy pair of pajamas and an inspiring storybook-sets the stage for a good night’s rest.
A community partner is a licensed shelter, group home, foster care agency, or other community-based organization serving children facing adversity. Pajama Program’s community partners have been vetted and approved. There are community partners in all 50 States and Puerto Rico! Pajamas you collect are matched to a community partner in your local community where the need is greatest.
Yes. For health and safety, federal guidelines require that pajamas must be new.
New pajamas only.
Pajamas should be a complete set-a top and matching bottom-or a onesie (please refrain from donating nightshirts or nightgowns).
Pajamas for all seasons, but especially warm, cozy ones at this time of year.
Although Pajama Program accepts new pajamas in all sizes, the most overlooked ones are generally children’s sizes 8 to adult 3XL.
Once you submit your online donation form, Pajama Program will work with you to coordinate drop-off or pick-up of your donation to ensure timely delivery to a community partner.
You are welcome to drop off or ship your donation; you will receive options from Pajama Program, depending on the situation and the local community partner receiving the donation.
No. Pajama Program will determine where your collection is needed based on what you’ve collected once you finish your drive. Every Pajama Program community partner is unique, helping different numbers of children and different age groups. The location where your donation is needed can only be determined once your collection is complete.
Please keep in mind that many Pajama Program representatives are volunteers, so they will send a reply as soon as they can. If you submitted your information and have not received communication from Pajama Program within ten days of your email, please contact: pjsbooks@pajamaprogram.org
Once you submit the online donation form and you are set to deliver the pajamas to a community partner, Pajama Program will send a matching set of Scholastic books from their national distribution center.
If it is mandatory that your collection is out of your classroom before the holidays, you must report your collection through the online donation form no later than December 3, 2021. When you report your donation, Pajama Program works to identify one of their community partners as close to your area as possible. Then they connect you with that organization in order to arrange for pick-up/delivery of the pajamas to the organization. If these connections don’t happen until after the official deadline of December 3, 2021, it can be difficult to coordinate logistics before schools close for the holidays. Preregistration helps to ease this challenge so that Pajama Program can anticipate volume of donations in different areas across the country.
The holiday season is a busy time at Pajama Program, when so many children are in need and so many people are thinking about giving. Scholastic is encouraging everyone to complete their drives and report their totals by December 3, 2021. You’ll need to complete your drive and submit your information using the online donation form by that date. While delivery of your donation does not need to happen by this date, please submit your donation form and work with Pajama Program representatives in a timely manner.
Any donations reported after December 3, 2021, will still be accepted by Pajama Program because the need is great; however, there may be additional delays in coordinating pick-up/delivery of your donation.