Bus Collects Pajamas For Children In Need

BRIARCLIFF, N.Y. (CBS 2) -- With less than two weeks until Thanksgiving quite a few parents are looking for ways to instill the "spirit of giving" in their children.

Well, get ready to meet some little ones from Westchester County who are learning the lesson of generosity.

As CBS 2's Cindy Hsu reports, they're stuffing the bus with pajamas.

The kindergartners were dressed in their PJs yelling "stuff the bus," and they stuffed it with brand new books and pajamas they're donating to children in need. The kids couldn't wait to tell Hsu about the jammies.

"Well I love peace signs and I love these colors, they're so cool. And so there's another little girl who's going to be really warm with this! So soft," said 5-year-old Talia London.

The program started when Genevieve Piturro volunteered at shelters reading to children. She saw many of the kids had no change of clothes to sleep in, so she brought them pajamas.

"When I handed them out there was one little girl who wouldn't take them, and I said 'don't you want your pajamas?' And she said 'what are they?'" Piturro said.

"I was horrified that kids here in our backyard are so traumatized at such a young age and the simple comfort of a pair of pajamas is so new to them."

That was 10 years ago. Today, children nationwide have received nearly 1 million pajamas and books donated by companies and students.

At Todd Elementary, the kids started collecting less than two weeks ago. In that time they came up with 349 books and 341 sets of pajamas -- way above their goals.

"I thought there was only like a few families, a few families and a few children that didn't have much of anything, but now there are thousands of kids out there who really who don't have anything," said 9-year-old Harrison Landau.

"Yeah, I'm really proud of my school."

"We're all groups of people and we should help everybody else in our universe," added 9-year-old Charlotte Sendek.

That's a priceless lesson.

The program runs all year round, but we're in the midst of the "danger season" when temperatures drop and children are especially vulnerable.

To find out how you can get involved, please check out the Pajama Program.