What we do
Our Projects
ReToy
Kids grow up and in so doing, they outgrow more than just their shoes. Before you know it, the toys that held the top position on one year or another’s holiday or birthday wish list, have become dust collectors on the back of a shelf somewhere in your house. Because most toys today are manufactured from plastics or have plastic components, they are difficult and costly to recycle, making them destined for landfills. There, plastics break down into finer particles that pollute soil and waterways, and toys that once brought joy put fish and other wildlife at risk.
At The Re:JOY Project, we see no reason for the life cycle of a toy to play out like this. One child’s discarded toy can be another child’s joy instead. Find out how you can DONATE some ReJOY from your old toys.
ReBook
According to recent research by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, five-year-old children who are read to and have access to books in the home have higher levels of trust, empathy for others, better social skills and are calmer than other five-year-olds. The OECD has also determined that children from disadvantaged households are four times less likely to have access to a good supply of books at home than children from advantaged families, while also typically living in communities with fewer books in the classroom, school, and public library, if there is even a neighborhood library at all. Additionally, it has been proven that those who have limited access to books and other learning resources typically lose one month of learning during the summer break. Piece those three data points together and the need is clear – disadvantaged children could benefit from more books.
If you have books that have been collecting dust on your shelf for some time now, please consider donating them to The Re:JOY Project. We will take the time to put together the perfect book collection and gift it to an age –appropriate reader so he or she can get a start on a home library of their own.
ReCostume
If you’ve ever tried to convince your kid to wear a Halloween costume twice and you lost the argument, then you may have some gently used costumes hanging around. And if, for instance, you had a Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz in your photo stream at one time or another, then you inevitably have the accessories that come with costuming too - a pair of ruby red slippers and a stuffed Toto in a blanket-lined basket maybe? Or perhaps you paid good money for your child to wear an outfit or two in their annual dance recital and those costumes now occupy the back corner of their closet.
At The Re:JOY Project, we think these old costumes have new smiles and picture-worthy moments left in them yet! Give your costumes a second chance to outfit another first chance Spiderman or Snow White. Find out how you can DONATE some ReJOY from your used costumes.
ReGear
It used to be that at the start of the baseball or soccer season, your coach handed you a previously worn and sometimes ill-fitting uniform that had been some other player’s uniform the season before. If you were lucky, the launderer of last year’s uniform had been good at removing grass and dirt stains and any remnants of post-game snack bar hot dogs. If you were less lucky, you wore the uniform anyway, hoping your opponents might be intimidated by the evidence of the prior aggressor’s slide into home plate.
But that was a different time and today kids are outfitted with new uniforms and pricey sports gear sooner than they can outgrow them. You may find a neighbor or a friend to pass some equipment along to, but sooner or later, their kid will upgrade to new gear as well.
The Re:JOY Project can help you make space in your garage by taking that old lacrosse stick or bat off your hands and putting them in the hands of kids who will find new delight in swinging them instead. Find out how you can DONATE some ReJOY from your old uniforms and sports gear.
