In 1994, a young mom named Shannon Stewart watched as her first child grew — along with the pile of adorable clothes that no longer fit. So she invited a bunch of other young mom friends over to collect clothes their little ones outgrew, and give them to the community. Then they did it again the next month, only with blankets and stuffed animals added in. They gave them to obstetrician offices and health units with the idea that if they came across a family in need, they would pass one of the baskets along. Over the next five years, people from the women’s extended social circles started dropping off donations at their doorsteps, and pretty soon, actual charities started calling too. By 2004, Basically Babies had become a registered charity.
“With a charity like this, you always hope that you’ll kind of work yourself out of a job eventually, but the need just keeps growing,” says Basically Babies Board Member Janet Sadowski. “We had office space, we could accept financial donations and apply for grants, and our little bundles of baby clothes have grown into these giant layettes, we call them, which have all the clothing and outerwear that a baby’s going to need for his or her first year of life. We accept donations of clothes, toys and blankets up to a two-year-old size, wash and mend everything, and make every layette that goes out just a beautiful gift for a family in need.”
The charity doesn’t give the layettes to families directly. Instead, volunteers deal with health units, shelters, nonprofits and other organizations that work on behalf of the families they have existing relationships with. But a charity can’t run on cute clothing alone, so each Mother’s Day, these mothers organize a delicious, fundraising brunch for other mothers in need.
“This event usually brings in about a third to a half of our budget for the year,” Sadowski says. “So it’s a giant need for us, and every year we choose a different theme for it. This year, our theme is ‘snapshots and snippets,’ because we’re looking back over 30 years at stories of the families we’ve helped. We have a giant silent auction, great entertainment, and of course, a fantastic brunch.”
You can support Basically Babies throughout the year, with your dollars or any gently used baby clothes, blankets and toys. But Sadowski says you can also donate your time. “We are always very excited to get new volunteers in the warehouse, because it’s just a happy place to be, going through baby clothes, finding the cutest little outfits, and spending time with some great people.”
Treat your mother right while helping other mothers dress their babies in need, this Mothers’ Day, or all year long.
