Comfort food and comfortable pajamas – a great combination. This Saturday, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream will bring the two together again for a good cause that makes a difference in the lives of children in foster care.
This is the second year that Bruster’s is inviting customers to either wear their comfy nightwear or donate a new pair of pajamas at its participating Greater Pittsburgh-region stores. In return, they will receive a free or discounted small handmade waffle cone. And of course, they can do both, if they so choose.
Bruster’s partner in the drive is Comfort Cases, a northern Virginia-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth in foster care by replacing the trash bags often used for their belongings with “Comfort Cases”— backpacks filled with personal care items. Bruster’s pajama donations will be included in these cases, which are then distributed to foster care youth through Comfort Cases’ local agencies’ partnerships.
Bruster’s Senior Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Brinker said one of the company’s franchises in that Washington, D.C./Baltimore area brought Comfort Cases to their attention. She said the ice cream company’s leaders learned that 740 children enter foster care every day and move from place to place lugging those trash bags. “Comfort Cases aims to end that demoralization process,” Brinker said. She said the pajamas will be added to the toiletry items and other donations that Comfort Cases collects.
The drive seeks donations of new pairs of pajamas ranging in size from infant to adult XXL.
Rob Scheer, founder and CEO of Comfort Cases, said in a news release, “Thanks to Bruster’s for offering a delicious way for our community to give back to youth in foster care. Through your efforts, many of these youth will be receiving their first pairs of new pajamas, which will show them that they are loved and appreciated.”
Last year participating Bruster’s stores collected more than 3,000 pajamas, she said, and they gave away 33,000 small waffle cones. “This is what our brand is about,” Brinker said, “giving back to our community plus along with making our great fresh ice cream. We appreciate our customers and give back to them, too.”
Bruster’s has held customer appreciation events since Bruce Reed started it back in 1989, fulfilling “his passion to provide the community with fresh homemade ice cream,” according to its website. Today it offers at least 24 ever-changing flavors made fresh daily, and it has over 150 handcrafted flavor recipes in rotation. He started in Bridgewater, Beaver County, and that store and its headquarters remain there. Currently it has 12 locations in the region, part of the nearly 200 independently owned locations in 22 states and Guyana.
The stores remain open all year, but this Saturday marks the ice cream season kickoff, Brinker said. The key Bruster’s features for March will be a confection connection with Cotton Candy Explosion ice cream in a freshly baked waffle cone and M&M Bruster’s Blasts, according to the release.
One of most active stores in the drive here is in Squirrel Hill, led by owner Chad McWreath, who Brinker said is the brand ambassador for the Pittsburgh region. He promotes the effort on the store’s Facebook page, and he will make an appearance on KDKA-TV’s “Talk Pittsburgh” this week to promote the effort.
Brinker has worked for Bruster’s for 10 years. All the stores work with their communities for service projects like this, but she said this is the largest one across the company. “It’s fun, and it represents what we stand for,” she said.
Bruster’s recommends customers call their local store to confirm participation. Locations can be found at https://brusters.com/find-locations/.
Helen is a copy editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but she's currently on strike. Contact her at hfallon@unionprogress.com.