Crossroads Mall is joining all 39 centers owned/managed by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust in helping the national nonprofit Pajama Program deliver warm sleepwear and nurturing books to tens of thousands of children who until now have done without.

“During the holidays people want to give, and with gas prices and the price of other things so high these days, we know there are a lot of people struggling,” said Rhonda Willson, marketing director. “Hard economic times hit hardest for the people who already have so little. Operation PJ Pile Up gives our shoppers a way to help children feel like someone is wrapping their arms around them.”

The drive began this week at Crossroads Mall and will continue through Dec. 31.

Throughout the holidays, shoppers are asked to donate new pairs of pajamas or new books at Crossroads Mall’s Operation PJ Pile Up collection bin, located at Customer Service. At the end of the drive, the Pajama Program will deliver them to children in need within the local community. The goal of Operation PJ Pile Up: collect and distribute 25,000 new pajamas and 2,500 new books for toddlers through teens throughout all PREIT centers.

“More than 500,000 U.S. children are in our foster care system — many have been abused or abandoned or waiting and hoping to be adopted. Thousands have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a parent tuck them in at bedtime in clean night clothing,” Willson said.

Genevieve Piturro, founder and executive director of the Pajama Program, said the drive is directed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.

“Children are most vulnerable during this time of year. We are grateful PREIT has sought out our organization and supports our efforts to help children, especially during these troubling times. The need is especially great for pajamas and books for older children.”

Since 2001, the Pajama Program has provided more than 213,000 pajamas and books to children nationwide. Today, it has 73 chapters in 42 states nationwide. For more information please visit www.pajamaprogram.org.

Operation PJ Pile Up at Crossroads Mall is part of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust’s PREIT Cares program, the company’s springboard for charitable giving and programming which focuses on health care, education, arts, social responsibility and sustainability initiatives. The company has secured the participation of retailers, vendors, and the community for its holiday campaign. Several retailers located in PREIT malls are offering special deals to shoppers who purchase new pajamas and new books for the cause.

Cherry Hill Photo, operator of the Santa photo concession in Crossroads Mall, is also offering incentives to those who make a donation. Crossroads Mall will host a Pajama Jam shopping event on Black Friday, starting at or before 6 a.m., and is also hosting an array of collection activities throughout the holiday season. Visit the mall’s Web site at www.shopcrossroads.com for details.

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com