Letter From The Founder

"Our primary goal at Baby Buggy is to ensure that all parents and families in the 5 boroughs of New York City have the means to provide clothing and gear for their infants and young children."


Friend,

In 2001, shortly after the birth of my daughter, Sascha, having slowly accumulated closets full of used – but very usable – baby clothing and equipment she no longer needed, I had a moral dilemma; as the daughter of a social worker, throwing out perfectly good baby gear was unthinkable; and yet there was no easy way to get it to a family who could use it.

Thus, Baby Buggy was born.

That Fall, a small but dedicated team of friends and volunteers joined me in organizing a donation drive – urging family, friends and neighbors to send us their gently used baby equipment and clothing for distribution to families in need throughout New York´s five boroughs. Our outreach was limited and informal, maybe even naïve; the response, however, was overwhelming.

Nine years and two more children of my own later, Baby Buggy has become a part of our City´s social fabric in a way I could never have imagined. Working with scores of social service partners, Baby Buggy has collected and distributed more than 4 million items of clothing and equipment to New York City families through community based organizations and city agencies.

I continue to be humbled by the tireless commitment of our staff and volunteers and the generous response to our supporters and partners. Their hard work and dedication has had a profound impact. Here are some of the milestones we celebrated in 2009:

  • In 2009, 3,978 volunteers, from corporations like Credit Suisse First Boston and Bank of America, logged in more than 5,600 hours of time in helping to sort, screen and patch thousands of donations in Baby Buggy´s warehouse.
  • Since entering into a partnership in 2006 with Nurse Family Partnership, a program that brings nurses to the homes of low-income, first-time mothers to offer mentoring, advocacy, and training in health and parenting matters, Baby Buggy has delivered 173,731 items to 4,062 families across nine NFP sites.
  • Our two Family Resource Centers, which house critical items on-site at St. Anthony´s Head Start in the Bronx and East Harlem´s Little Sisters of the Assumption and supply them to families in need, have served over 210 families and distributed more than 200,000 items since being established in 2008.
  • We have delivered over 5,705 cribs through Baby Buggy´s Project Safe Sleep Program, which aims to prevent infant rollover deaths in some of New York City´s poorest communities by educating parents about safe sleep practices along with a crib donation.
  • Our first Baby Buggy LoveRecycled Gear Drive, held this past December, was a big success raising $41,290 in cash and over $40,000 in new gear donations thanks to the generosity of JCPenney, SoulCycle, Baby Bjorn, Clek, Maclaren, Phil & Ted's, and Highbridge Capital Management.
  • In 2009, we held a Diaper Drive to match Pamper´s generous donation of $50,000 worth of diapers. Baby Buggy has now delivered 1,991,295 million diapers to families in need since 2004.
  • We received over $1.2 Million worth of corporatedonations in 2009; top donors include Children´s Place, Haddad Brands, KIDS/Babies R Us and Appaman.

And while I wouldn´t have believed it possible in 2001, the demand for donations has grown even greater today. The current economy has had a particularly devastating effect on the poor. And as more and more families in New York City fall below the poverty line each day, our services have become even more critical.

We never want to turn away a mother, child or family – we shouldn´t have to, because the items they need are all around us. Perhaps they´re in your child´s room, still unused, or in storage, or maybe you´re about to throw them away. Please don´t!

Instead, we ask that you support our important work by organizing your new or gently used items for a drop-off or pick-up or by making a financial donation to help us purchase new items like diapers or cribs. Your generosity will directly support families and children who need it so desperately.

With your help, we can and will continue to make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable New Yorkers.

Thank you,

Jessica Seinfeld
Founder and President of the Board