Open Your Heart Pajama Drive: Helping Hundreds of Children In Need

Folks in the community opened their hearts and are helping to give warm sleepwear and nurturing books to hundreds of children in need. Lexus of Stevens Creek is proud to continue a partnership with the non-profit organization Pajama Program and support their efforts by hosting the Pajama Program “Open Your Heart” Sorting Party Tuesday morning at the dealership on Stevens Creek Boulevard. A dozen volunteers sorted through more than 400 new pajamas and 400 new books – including 120 books and bookmarks donated from another non-profit group- Recycling4Smiles.

“How wonderful it is to see everyone coming together for such a great cause. Our hope is to bring comfort and warmth to children in need in our community. It’s so heartwarming to see these children receive new pajamas and new books, and they are just so excited and full of joy,” says Community Relations Manager Jessica Keener. “We also hope to inspire others to join us in giving back and making a difference!”

The items were boxed up to be delivered to agencies serving children in need, many in foster care and shelters. The agencies that will be receiving the donations include: Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, Rebekah Children's Services, San Jose Family Shelter - Family Supportive Housing Inc., Unity Care Group, The Villa & Commercial Street Inn, Children's Receiving Center of Santa Clara County, and Help One Family.

This is the second year Lexus of Stevens Creek has partnered with Pajama Program. For the months of January and February, Lexus of Stevens Creek has been hosting a drive, collecting new pajamas and books.

"The mission goes with giving those children dignity of bedtime, and so children in foster care particularly are often there by no fault of their own and end up with just the clothes on their back," says Pallie Zambrano, Pajama Program Bay Area Chapter President. "Giving them the opportunity to transition to bedtime with a new pair of pajamas that are theirs to keep, a book for bedtime stories to read on their own time, it gives them that opportunity."

For more information on the Pajama Program or to donate, please contact Pallie Zambrano at pallie@pajamaprogram.org.

Community Relations Manager Jessica Keener Becomes A Teacher For A Day

Lexus of Stevens Creek Community Relations Manager Jessica Keener joined a group of folks from local businesses and had the opportunity to step into the shoes of an Oster Elementary School teacher on Thursday.

The non-profit organization Junior Achievement gives people the chance to train and teach in local partner schools. JA’s elementary school programs are the foundation of its K-12 curricula. Five sequential themes, each with hands-on activities work to change students’ lives by helping them understand business and economics.

Keener taught Ms. Bruneau’s 3rd grade class at Oster Elementary. She started at 8:15am and taught 5 different lessons until the bell rang at 2:40pm. The curriculum called JA Our City includes lessons on the characteristics of cities and how cities are shaped by zoning, the importance of money to a city, how financial institutions help businesses and city residents, and how the media is an integral part of a city's life. Students also had the chance to learn the role of an entrepreneur by exploring what it takes to open a restaurant.

"It was such a wonderful opportunity to teach children about our city, business and the media and apply what they've learned to hands-on activities; and it was so great to see the children interested and engaged," says Keener. "What a unique way to give back to the youth and the community!"

If you are interested in volunteering and teaching for a day through Junior Achievement’s volunteer program, please contact Program Manager Caitlin Gallardo-Sebti at cgallardo@janorcal.org.

Sign Up To Volunteer: Open Your Heart Pajama Sorting Party

Lexus of Stevens Creek is proud to continue a partnership with the Pajama Program and support their efforts in delivering warm sleepwear and nurturing books to children in need. This year, Lexus of Stevens Creek is hosting the Pajama Program “Open Your Heart” Sorting Party on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 from 8am to 2pm at the dealership. Volunteers will be sorting through thousands of new pajamas and books and boxing them up to be shipped to the children.

For the months of January and February, Lexus of Stevens Creek has been hosting a drive, collecting new pajamas and books. Lexus guests who donate receive 10% off their service bill. Donations will also be accepted during the sorting event. If you would like to volunteer, please email pallie@pajamaprogram.org.