It's all fun and games as 'Boxes of Joy' distributed to children in Pittsburgh region

Bringing a little fun and some learning, too, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Reading is FUNdamental (RIF) Pittsburgh and The Education Partnership teamed up to assemble and deliver “Boxes of Joy” this summer.

The boxes contain more than $100 worth of items, including sketch books, colored paper, footballs, bug stamp kits, story cubes, putty, gel pens, bouncy balls, kites and diverse books.

The goal is to deliver at least 3,500 boxes to those in need through family support centers, RIF Pittsburgh’s partner sites and schools across Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg to “inspire creativity and spark fun at a time when many quintessential summer experiences are unavailable.”

Staff and volunteers from the Children’s Museum and The Education Partnership have been assembling the boxes at The Education Partnership.

“We’re thrilled to participate in this project to bring some joy to children in our community,” Jane Werner, executive director of Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh said in a statement. “We miss interacting with children and families as they explore the Museum, and we’re pleased to help deliver a bit of fun and learning they can enjoy at home.”

Distribution began July 15 and will continue daily for the next few weeks, according to Josh Whiteside, executive director of The Education Partnership.

Pittsburgh philanthropic organizations supporting the project include the Elsie Hilliard Hillman Foundation, The Grable Foundation, Richard K. Mellon Foundation and The Pittsburgh Foundation to Encourage Hands On Learning.

“The unexpected closure of so many children’s programs and activities due to covid-19 this summer made it critically important to offer children and families some relief during this time of stress and difficulty,” the Children’s Museum said in a statement.

The Children’s Museum recently announced it will be closed for the rest of the year. Whiteside explained that this hasn’t affected the “Boxes of Joy” assembly and distribution, however.

“It’s been a really fun collaborative effort to meet and work with everyone here at the education partnership,” Whiteside said.

Whiteside also explained they hope to stretch their resources to make close to 4,000 boxes instead of 3,500.

The boxes are either delivered by RIF Pittsburgh and The Education Partnership or picked up by schools, especially for those farthest in Westmoreland County.

‘This pandemic has been really hard on a lot of families and organizations,” Whiteside said. “As much as these ‘Boxes of Joy’ are meant to be joyful for the kids, this has been a real labor of love for myself and all of the other partners.”