Size 10 pajamas...

I was out at one of the local children's shelters today, delivering pajamas. While there, as I was counting up what they had, to see what they would need for the next delivery, one of the volunteers there told me about another children's shelter (for infants) which a local church oversees.

It sounded like just the place to deliver baby-pajamas, especially since I always have lots more pajamas for infants than for older children, and this particular church administers to young pregnant girls and their babies. And right now, as always, I have so many infant pajamas.... and I hate to see them sitting in my closet waiting to be matched up with a baby-- when they could be at shelters waiting there for the babies.

I did my research on the church and their baby-project, and called to speak to the lady in charge of the program. She hadn't heard of the Pajama Program before, but she was thrilled to be hearing about it today because they're in desperate need of infant pajamas. I will be meeting with her tomorrow morning, delivering the baby pajamas to her, and she will be on my weekly or monthly delivery list, depending on how many pajamas she needs.

Before we said goodbye, this woman asked me if I happened to have one pair of size 10 pajamas for a little boy. I looked into the boys-pajama bin, and I had just one size 10 Disney pajama set-- with the Pirates of the Caribbean design on it. Just the one, but that's all she needed. She told me about a little boy and his mother who had just come to the church looking for assistance... they had to leave an abusive husband/father... and they left so quickly that they had only the clothes on their backs. (So sad, all of this.)

The church is helping the mother with food, clothing, shelter, and hopefully will be able to find her a job in the area. Before they left the church office, the little boy asked the program director if she had any boys pajamas in size 10. The director told the boy that they usually just get pajamas for tiny babies, and right now, they didn't even have very many of those left. The little boy told her Well, if you happen to find some size 10 pajamas for me, can you let my mom know so we can come and get them? (I swear, stories like this one just break my heart.)

I told the director to please call that little boy's mom and tell her that she can go to the church tomorrow and pick up the pajamas for her son. I will also pack up some books for that child, but I didn't tell her that, so the books will be a surprise for him.

I mean, really... what are the chances of me calling that church to see if they'd like to be part of our Pajama Program.... and then the director asking me if I had a certain size for a little boy-- and I had just one set in his size.