WSB Blog – Page 2 – WestSide Baby

02Dec 2024 by Morgan McGinn

‘Tis the Season for Giving with WestSide Baby!

News

We’re kicking off December with a burst of holiday cheer at WestSide Baby, and we can’t wait to share all the exciting ways you can help bring joy and relief to families throughout King County this season! The West Seattle Blog’s first annual Giving Spirit campaign has officially launched, and today, we’re thrilled to be the featured non-profit. This wonderful collaboration is a chance for you to support WestSide Baby’s Give Joy campaign, which focuses on providing essential children’s items—like warm winter clothes, hats, boots, diapers, and hygiene supplies—to local families in need. The campaign runs through December, and every donation will have a lasting impact on the lives of children and families across our community. We’re beyond grateful for the Blog’s dedication to giving back, and this partnership allows…

04Nov 2024 by Tiffany Mathisen

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…

26Aug 2024 by Tiffany Mathisen

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…

30Apr 2024 by Tiffany Mathisen

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…

15Feb 2024 by Tiffany Mathisen

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…

22Aug 2023 by Iana Mae Abinales

After a Busy Summer – What’s Next?

Events

Hi to our WestSide Baby Community! What a busy summer it’s been! We just wrapped up our From the Bottom Up campaign, our community’s largest annual diaper drive. Together, our community donated over 250,000 diapers. These diapers will be distributed to 5,000 children in the greater Seattle community. Because of an amazing foundation of support from our community, this summer we expanded our operations. We extended volunteer and donation collection hours, identified new collection sites, and continued bulk diaper distribution efforts amidst national diaper shortages. To top it off, we bolstered our leadership team with the addition of Interim Executive Director, Laura Skelton. Laura brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has served as Interim Executive Director at a number of Seattle-area nonprofit organizations. I am proud to continue to support…

14Jun 2023 by Iana Mae Abinales

Public Policy Changes to End Diaper Need

News

See Governor Jay Inslee sign SB 5187 here Diaper Subsidy Program in WA In 2022, the Washington State Legislature approved SB 5838, The End Diaper Need Act. This bill created a diaper subsidy program that increases the cash benefit by $100 per month for households with a child under the age of 3 receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or State Family Assistance. The funding is intended to assist with the cost of diapers as described in Chapter 100, Laws of 2022 (SSB 5838). The benefit increase is effective November 1, 2023. Washington’s program is based off a program in California but offers broader eligibility and will put more money directly in the hands of low-income families each month to buy diapers and wipes. This will be an automatic…

31May 2023 by Iana Mae Abinales

Diapers are Essential. Take Action – From the Bottom Up!

Events

Nationwide, the average cost of diapers has gone up by nearly 22% since 2018. The impact of inflation is felt acutely by families experiencing diaper need who, on a daily basis, must stretch their limited income to provide the basics for their children. Few people realize that unlike other essentials such as food or health insurance, there is no federal assistance for purchasing diapers. Learn more about the impact of diaper insecurity. "Expanded diaper access is an often-overlooked policy priority that could have significant positive benefits for families with infants and toddlers."Allie Schneider, Research Associate, & Hailey Gibbs, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for American Progress Diapers are the one item WestSide Baby guarantees to the providers we work with and the families we serve. From the Bottom Up is our…

21Apr 2023 by Iana Mae Abinales

Selfless and Joyful Service: A Dynamic Force for the Community

News

Volunteer in the Sorting Room of First Warehouse checking on clothes “Volunteers are the heart of our organization. We truly couldn't serve the number of families we do without them. Every child that receives our items has the volunteers to thank first and foremost. We're all deeply appreciative of the work they do.” - Kristin Monahan, Site Lead Our work progresses day after day through collaborative efforts, meaningful partnerships and relationships in the community, united by a vision to equip families with essential items towards a happy and healthy life; this especially cascades through our volunteers, steeped in selflessness and service. A dynamic force at WestSide Baby, volunteers bring inspiration , and without hesitation, dive into the often demanding and crucial projects, such as celebrating the growth of a family by curating a colorful…

03Apr 2023 by Iana Mae Abinales

Welcoming our New Executive Director!

News

Welcome Michelle Introducing WestSide Baby’s new Executive Director, Michelle Hankinson! Michelle brings almost 15 years in the nonprofit sector, with significant experience as an Executive Director and Director of Operations.Michelle comes to WestSide Baby most recently from Childhaven where she was the Senior Director of Early Support Services for Infants and Toddlers and Healthy Start. In this role, she executed strategic plans to advance their mission. Michelle also participated in the Childhaven Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team to ensure equitable early interventions within communities of color. She is committed to supporting children and families holistically alongside WestSide Baby. Michelle’s community describes her as “a compassionate leader with high emotional intelligence and a deep understanding of equity and inclusion.” I am so thrilled that Michelle will be joining WestSide Baby as…