K.I.D.S. Mission Statement

is a national charity of leading retailers and manufacturers of children's products committed to helping children in need.

K.I.D.S. encourages and facilitates donations of new apparel, shoes, toys, juvenile products and other items that benefit children who are ill, living in poverty or are the victims of natural disasters.

Overview

Kids In Distressed Situations Inc. was founded in 1985 to assist victims of famine in Africa. Within 60 days members of the children's industry donated $250,000 worth of merchandise to Ethiopian children. In its first year K.I.D.S. made donations of clothes, shoes and toys with a value of $600,000 to children in Ethiopia and to mud slide victims in South America. Following this first year, the donations grew considerably. In 1998 K.I.D.S. donations totaled more than $23.5 million, and 2001 donations totaled $41 million. 80% went to kids in the United States and 20% went to children abroad.

The donor membership has grown - now at 800 members - but so has the need for clothes, shoes, toys, books, beds, cribs, juvenile products, eyeglasses and everyday items needed by children living in poverty, in shelters or struck by disaster. With the support of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the Children's Division of the AAFA, Children's Marketing Division (CMA) and the Toy Industry Association (TIA), K.I.D.S. has continued to solicit contributions of excess apparel and items from manufacturers and retailers to distribute through a network of nonprofit agencies serving more than 4 million children a year. K.I.D.S. has also established poverty programs in over 36 cities and rural communities across the U.S., in locations including Los Angeles (CA), Hobbs (NM), New York City and Appalachian Ohio.

100% of donations to K.I.D.S. goes directly to a child or a family in need. Rather than warehouse product, K.I.D.S. arranges for donor members to ship items directly to an agency in their community. K.I.D.S. provides agencies with items that are in high demand, helps clear up warehouse, showroom or storage space for companies and helps children experience the joy of receiving new items that they can call their own. To become involved, please call us at 800-266-3314 or visit us on the web at .