Nonprofit Cradles to Crayons needs volunteers, donations Wicked Local Standing between massive laundry hampers piled high with clothing, Minuteman High School student volunteers carefully sorted through donated items at Cradles to Crayons, a Newton nonprofit. The organization “provides everyday essentials for children whose families are experiencing low-income and/or homelessness,” according to its website. Volunteers are a vital part of processing those donations. “It’s important that the clothes are quality,” said longtime volunteer Mary Harvell of Woburn. Cradles to Crayons, which moved from Boston to Newtonville in February 2020, had to work through many obstacles to reach those in need during the COVID pandemic.