Two Down Syndrome Entrepreneurs Working Together: John’s Crazy Socks Supports Brittany’s Baskets of Hope
Brittany Schiavone, who has Down syndrome, founded Brittany’s Baskets of Hope to bring hope and support to families welcoming a child with Down syndrome. Brittany does this by sending a gift basket filled with presents and information to parents of the newly born child with Down syndrome. John’s Crazy Socks loves the work that Brittany does and supports her efforts by donating socks for the Baskets of Hope.
John Cronin, who also has Down syndrome and is co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, said, “Brittany is a friend of mine and an inspiration. She lets parents know that their babies with Down syndrome will lead full and happy lives.”
Brittany said, “I just want to let everyone know, just because you are born with a disability, it doesn’t mean you can’t do everything you want to do!”
Founded in 2016, Brittany’s Baskets of Hope has now shipped over 600 baskets to 46 states. Brittany and her not-for-profit have been featured in the national and local media and Brittany has been recognized as a leader on Long Island.
John and Brittany have another connection: Brittany works part-time as a Sock Wrangler at John’s Crazy Socks. She says, “I like working at John’s Crazy Socks because I get to help make a difference and my fellow workers are so much fun.”
John said, “I love having Brittany working with us. She is a great Sock Wrangler.”
Brittany and John both have Down syndrome, yet they both prove that Down syndrome never holds them back. They are role models who demonstrate the full and rich lives that people with Down syndrome can lead and the many contributions they can make to society.
About Brittany’s Baskets of Hope
Brittany’s Baskets of Hope is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by Brittany Schiavone, a young woman with Down syndrome. Brittany came up with the idea for the organization in 2014 and asked her parents and support staff if they would get on board. They did! Her mission is to spread resources, support, guidance and, of course, hope to families that have newly welcomed a baby with Down syndrome.
At Brittany’s Baskets of Hope, we believe that the arrival of all babies deserves to be celebrated no matter who you are or how you’re born. And we want to remind families that, as Brittany always says, “Babies with Down syndrome can do anything, really, really anything!”
As part of our mission, we create and deliver welcome baskets to new babies with Down syndrome and their families featuring the quintessential book on raising a child with Down syndrome, Babies with Down Syndrome, a New Parent’s Guide, along with Brittany’s story in her own words, words of wisdom from her parents, and special items for the baby, like our favorite “Down Right Perfect” onesies. Also included in every basket is a baby blanket knitted and donated by community members across the country.
Since delivering our first basket of hope in October 2016, Brittany’s Baskets of Hope has sent over 600 baskets of hope to families in 46 states across the country.
Brittany’s Baskets of Hope has earned media attention from Fox Business News, News 12 Long Island, The Mighty, elephant journal, Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance and more.
To learn more about Brittany’s Baskets of Hope, please check out our website or Facebook page. You can also contact us at brittanysbasketsofhope@gmail.com or call 631-673-6550.
About John’s Crazy Socks
Founded by a young man with Down syndrome, John Cronin, and his Dad, Mark X. Cronin, John’s Crazy Socks has a simple mission: spreading happiness. We’re a social enterprise; we have a social and an e-commerce mission and the two are indivisible.
We have built our business on four pillars:
- Inspiration and Hope: Every day, we show what people with intellectual disabilities can do when given an opportunity.
- Giving Back: We donate 5 percent of our earnings to the Special Olympics and raise money for our charity partners through Awareness and Charity socks.
- Socks You Can Love: We offer over 1,900 different socks.
- Making It Personal:Every package gets a thank you note from John and some candy.
We opened in December 2016 in temporary space making home deliveries. Now, we operate from a 6,400 square foot facility in Melville, New York have created 33 jobs, employ 15 people with differing abilities, shipped 83,000 orders to 44 different countries and have raised nearly $100,000 for our charity partners. (And we still make home deliveries.)
John’s Crazy Socks has garnered media attention from the BBC, Fox Business News, ABC News, Money Magazine, The Mighty and Fox-5NY among other media outlets.
To learn more about John’s Crazy Socks, please visit our website or Facebook page. You can also contact us at service@johnscrazysocks.com or call 631-760-5625.
