BEVERLY — Kids at the First Baptist Church like the things they have.
So they're collecting donations so other kids can have those things, too.
As part of a service project during Lent, the 30 preschoolers through eighth-graders have been gathering items like children's clothing, toys and baby equipment to donate to Cradles to Crayons, a Boston nonprofit that provides the basic essentials to low-income and homeless children.
"They've really latched onto this, because I think they can imagine what they have and what you need," the Rev. Julie Flowers said. "They can think 'I have pajamas, I have toys, I have a blanket for my bed.' "
So far, they've filled 12 "Pack-n-Plays."
"They would like to fill 50, so they have a long way to go," she said. Between now and the day after Easter, people can drop off donations in the main lobby of the First Baptist Church on Cabot Street.
At the end of April, the kids will help bring everything to the Cradles to Crayons warehouse in Quincy.
"We're going to be doing a work day," Flowers said.
They'll sort through everything that was collected and see how it's arranged. The nonprofit has a list of children and what they need, so the kids from the First Baptist Church might be sorting very specific packages.
They might receive the name of a girl who needs clothes for the summer, for instance, and go through all the clothing to pick her out some outfits.
Collecting the donations is one thing. Understanding exactly how those donations will be used is quite another, Flowers said.
"It's really a great experience for kids to see where it goes afterward," she said. "It's the full picture."
Staff writer Cate Lecuyer can be reached at clecuyer@salemnews.com.
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