Give Joy is Here!

Give Joy is Here!

Events
As the leaves turn and we approach the holiday season, it's time to come together and make a meaningful impact in our community. We’re excited to announce the launch of WestSide Baby's 2024 Give Joy Campaign! This initiative is more than just a call to action; it's an opportunity to transform lives and bring joy to families in need this winter. Why "Give Joy?" Did you know that in King County alone, over **27,000 children** live in poverty? These children often lack access to basic necessities like diapers, clothing, and warm weather gear, which are essential for their health and well-being. Every dollar you contribute helps us provide critical resources to families, ensuring that children can stay safe, warm and dry. The Impact of Your Support Diapers: One in three…
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Announcing Our New Director of Development and Communications: Morgan McGinn

Announcing Our New Director of Development and Communications: Morgan McGinn

News
We are delighted to announce that Morgan McGinn, who has been partnering with our development team as a fundraising consultant, is stepping into the role of Director of Development and Communications at WestSide Baby. Morgan's experience in nonprofit fundraising and communications, combined with her passion for our mission, makes her the perfect fit for this position. Morgan has spent her entire career in fundraising, and most recently worked as a consultant at the Ostara Group, where she worked with clients on developing and growing fundraising programs, engaging with key stakeholders and volunteer leadership groups, and helping launch and support capital campaigns around the region. Prior to consulting, she had the good fortune to focus on major gifts, special events, initiatives and projects, and corporate and community engagement with organizations such as Seattle Opera, Seattle…
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Q&A with WestSide Baby’s New Executive Director

Q&A with WestSide Baby’s New Executive Director

News
We are thrilled to welcome WestSide Baby’s next Executive Director, Allie Lindsay Johnson. We asked her a few questions, in hopes that you can start to get to know Allie. Keep your eyes peeled for other ways to connect with Allie. What is it about WestSide Baby's mission that resonates with you? So many parents have come to depend on the incredible support system that is WestSide Baby. I know just how important a parent’s support system can be. I have a 3 year old daughter and we both experienced a lot of complications surrounding her birth. She was born 8 weeks early and my husband and I stayed in the NICU with her for 9 weeks. During that time I was hospitalized for postpartum psychosis and later I experienced…
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Driven by Love: Our Car Seat Program

Driven by Love: Our Car Seat Program

Portfolio
Driven by Love: Our Car Seat Program Car Seat Accessibility WestSide Baby champions a vision of healthy, thriving and resilient families, made possible by our communal efforts to collect and distribute essential items, especially safety equipment.   Given car accidents as a leading cause in injury and death for infants and children, with child passenger death rates highest among American Indian and Alaska Native children (2.67 per 100,000 population), followed by Black children (1.96), Program Coordinator and Car Seat Technician, Jarrod Kluk, stresses the importance of car seats.   However, we recognize there are structural inequities that cause the basic needs gap to disproportionately affect communities of color. Financial factors such as inflation and job security remain a barrier for families to navigate additional expenses like car seats. When parents are forced to do…
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Take Action with WestSide Baby to end diaper need!

Take Action with WestSide Baby to end diaper need!

News
It's National Diaper Need Awareness Week! Diaper Need is a lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep a baby clean, dry and healthy. Diaper need affects 1 in 3 families nationally and 23% of families in King County. Within this 23%, families from BIPOC backgrounds are disproportionately impacted by diaper need. Our social safety net does not ensure equal access to basic needs items. Nationally, low-income families pay up to 14% of their entire income on disposable diapers. WIC & food stamps do NOT cover diapers. And while the financial burdens of the pandemic continue, diapers are also becoming increasingly more difficult to afford with prices increasing 12% in under 2 years from the end of 2019 to June of 2021. Read the recent blog post from summer intern, Siona, to learn more.…
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A Historic Moment to End Diaper Need

A Historic Moment to End Diaper Need

News, Portfolio
We are celebrating a historic moment in Washington for families! A major in investment has been made to systemically address diaper need across our state for the first time. We applaud the Washington Legislature for a budget that honors diapers as a very necessary and basic human right! Although lawmakers did not include the $80 monthly "diaper stipend", $5 million in grants will go to Washington's diaper banks over the next two years to provide approximately 29 million diapers to families who are unable to access an adequate supply otherwise. As we celebrate, we acknowledge that this investment must only be a starting place. In King County alone, more than 1 in 5 families - 1 in 3 for many BIPOC communities - struggled to afford enough diapers before the pandemic,…
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We Stuffed the Bus!

We Stuffed the Bus!

News
We did it! We collected over 400,000 diapers this summer! Thank you for being a part of our 20th year of Stuff the Bus. Our community came together to collect 405,597 diapers! We could not have done this without those who hosted diaper drives, collected basics for babies, donated hygiene items and used our Amazon Wishlist to get those most needed items to WestSide Baby. YOU helped us beat our 350,000 Stuff the Bus diaper goal! Stuff the Bus Impact In 2019, WestSide Baby distributed 1.5 million diapers to King County families in need. Covid-19 has made Diaper Need more complex this year and to combat the need, we have distributed over 1.1 million diapers so far this year. We are proud of this number and we are only able…
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WestSide Baby on King 5 News!

WestSide Baby on King 5 News!

News
New parents warned against homemade baby formula in coronavirus crisis Some families have been unable to stock up on — or find — baby products. Health officials are concerned by alternative recipes for formula circulating online. Author: Ted LandPublished: 10:07 PM PDT April 8, 2020Updated: 11:11 AM PDT April 13, 2020 In addition to concerns about finding toilet paper, some new parents are worried about getting enough formula and diapers. A Seattle non-profit said there's a recent surge in demand for baby products, while doctors have a warning for families seeking a do-it-yourself alternative to feed newborns. West Side Baby, an organization that provides diapers, formula, cribs, and strollers to families, has been inundated with cries for help during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In some cases, families under financial stress cannot afford products. In…
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Our Modified Distribution has begun!

Our Modified Distribution has begun!

News
The current COVID - 19 public health crisis has resulted in a ripple effect throughout our community. The scarcity of basic needs items, like diapers and baby wipes affects the families we serve who already struggle with getting essentials for their little ones. Our modified distribution plan allows us to continue to navigate as an essential service to keep our community safe. We are just getting started and have distributed 21,968 diapers, in addition to wipes, car seats, formula and hygiene items. WestSide Baby efforts to keep our community safe includes: Keeping distribution by appointment onlyLimiting items in orders for distributionEmergency distribution efforts, outreach with Seattle Public Schools and continued partnerships with food banks and other agenciesTaking additional sanitation measures to protect the health & safety of staff, partners and the families we serve While we…
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WineDown with WestSide Baby

News
Thank you for joining us in 2019! We look forward to seeing you in 2020.Check back later for a Save the Date! Sip Local WinesSavor Delicious BitesSupport Children in Need Join us at our fall fundraiser featuring local wineries and delicious bites to ensure that children and families in our community have the diapers, clothing and car seats they need. Thursday, October 10 | Doors at 5:30Melrose Market Studios See Full Event Details
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