The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation’s longstanding partnership with Project Undercover has expanded our reach to an organization with which they are connected. Project Undercover recently connected the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation with Project Linus, a wonderful organization which provides handmade blankets to children in need. Their mission is to offer comfort, warmth, and a sense of security to young people who are going through difficult times.
Here is a letter we received from Richard Fleisher, Founder/President of Project Undercover:
It’s a simple recipe. Start with the premise that everyone needs something, especially if you are one of RI’s many kids living in poverty. Throw in a robust distribution system capable of reaching those kids. Add in the generosity of one of RI’s largest and most loved companies. Finally, mix it all together and give it to some creative people that really know what they are doing.
For 32 years, Project Undercover has been providing the basic necessities to RI’s children living in poverty; diapers, socks, underwear and wipes. We do this through a network of the state’s Community Action Programs and family service centers. We do this with the help from many friends, donors and organizations but first and foremost, we do it with the help of Ocean State Job Lot.
OSJL is famous for offering everything you need at “crazy deal” low prices, and often many things you didn’t know you needed until you saw it. Sadly, some things get returned. Some things were damaged in shipping. Some things have incorrect packaging. Where does it all go? Fortunately, much of it finds its way to Project Undercover. If you have towels with damaged packaging, we know who needs the towel. If you have a lot of sports memorabilia, we have kids with walls that would love to hang them. And if you have thousands of skeins of yarn, Project Undercover knows some wonderful people that know how to use it.
Recently we received several pallets of multi-colored yarn. Diane LeValley, Undercover’s Executive Director, contacted Martha Sholes at Project Linus. Project Linus provides handmade blankets to children ages 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or are otherwise in need. Not only were they interested, but the crew at Linus created some wonderful blankets and returned the finished products to Project Undercover for distribution. They will soon be going back out to local kids, many of who can use something pretty in their lives.
RI, in fact most of the Northeast, is blessed to have OSJL in their communities. Their desire to make people’s lives a bit easier, a bit more fun and a lot less expensive helps thousands of the RI’s kids in need. We’ve been challenged over the years: pallets of laxatives; thousands of figurines; case upon case of slightly outdated calendars, but we have not been stumped yet. Everyone needs something.
We’d be remiss if we did not mention everything else that Ocean State Job Lot does for us and our fellow citizens…the tens of thousands of pairs of new shoes and sandals, the never-ending supply of towels and home goods, the truckloads of new clothing. Thank you, OSJL. We are all lucky to have you.