Once upon a time,not so long ago,in the enchanting land of New York, USA,a fairy godmother appeared to a group of children. With a wave of her wand and some pixie dust,the fairy godmother presented the amazed kids with warm pajamas and a cherished book to enrich their imagination.
Wearing their jammies and with book in hand,they went happily off to bed.
Welcome,beneficent viewers.
Today we will hear the story of the Pajama Program,which represents a true modern day fairy tale that offers hope and joy to countless children around the world.
Volunteer2:
Oh, that is so nice!
Volunteer1:
I want to take a picture of you.
Volunteer2:
Look, there is blue on there too, a zebra.
VO (male):
The gentle rocking of babies to sleep with sweet lullabies and stories is a universal tradition shared by parents,especially mothers.
In its spring 2009 issue,『Hybrid Mom』 published an article titled,『Good Night, Sleep Tight,』in which writer Tracy Butler explains how the simplistic nature of the Pajama Program touches the heartstrings of all parents who conduct the nightly routine with their own children,『Bedtime is a time when many of us,
even unwittingly, deliver a daily dose of childhood to our children wrapped in a 15-minute routine that
offers love and warmth,security and possibilities. Our children fall asleep with the sense that all is right with the world.
But we know that for too many families,all is not right. We know that there are children in our world who face the unimaginable during the day - hunger,abuse, homelessness.
For them,they will not experience even the brief reprieve of being tucked in - of putting on warm pajamas and having a bedtime story take them somewhere else,anywhere else.』
Recognizing this profound bond and basic need,Genevieve Piturro and Alice Quick founded the Pajama Program in 2001 to help underprivileged children.