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Pajama party raises awareness, collects pjs for domestic violence center
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For the past nine years, guests have embraced “dressing down” to attend the Good Ol’ Days Christmas Open House and Pajama Party, a fundraiser for Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
They come dressed in footed pajamas, fleece robes, monkey sock PJs, fuzzy slippers and and munch on vintage Christmas-themed snacks while they tour the nostalgic guesthouse in Belle Vernon.
The price of admission: a pair of new pajamas for victims of domestic violence and their children.
“There are those who may not be looking forward to the holiday because of their circumstances,” said organizer Melanie Patterson. “So, it was started with the intention to raise awareness which could potentially help adults and children who are victims of domestic violence by letting them know there are easy to get help and stop the abuse by highlighting the domestic violence center.”
An entrepreneur and owner of Good Ol’ Days House, Patterson said she had a “lightbulb moment” in December 2008, while in the middle of renovating and updating the house.
She ran across a magazine article about a women’s club who collected new pajamas for homeless children in the Philadelphia area as a community outreach project.
“We held our first Christmas pajama party and open house in 2009, and have been having them every year since, with the exception of one December when I had a family staying in the house for two months,” said Patterson.
Kelly Young, donations coordinator,