Community

We’re Giving Thanks: Our First Big Giveaway Contest Nov 15-23rd #hamo #elb

Since we started HAMO, a little over a year and a half ago, we’ve been sharing information about diaper needs, connecting the have’s and the have not’s, and spreading grassroots awareness. We’ve distributed well over 432,000 diapers! I’m especially thankful to those of you who have been following our campaign since the very beginning, and also to our new friends who heard about us through word of mouth.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we wanted to do something special for YOU. We’re inviting you to become an official member of the HAMO community and making it fun be holding a GIVEAWAY CONTEST.

Contest Deets:

It’s simple: Become a member of our community and automatically enter to win one of the following prizes, generously donated by our friends at Huggies. We’re giving away:

• One (1) Grand Prize winner: Three month supply of Huggies diapers – $250 value (you may choose to keep the diapers for your baby, or donate to a non profit of your choice).

• Two (2) First Prize winners: $50 American Express Gift Card

Already a member? Fear not, dear friends, you can enter the contest too! If you’ve attended one of our diaper drives , community events, or donated diapers online, there’s a chance you’re already a member (our friends at Constant Contact will remind you if this is the case). Here’s how you can enter the contest: “Like” or post a comment on this post on our Facebook page between now and the end of the contest.

Contest ends Noon PST, Tuesday November 23rd. We’ll pick winners at random and announce them shortly after Tuesday.

Now let’s all give a big hug to our friends at Huggies for generously donating these wonderful prizes, and most importantly, for supporting the cause through their Every Little Bottom campaign.

The rules: One entry per person, but feel free to forward the contest to friends and family, with a short note about why you think it’s crucial for babies to have enough diapers. For a complete list of the contest rules, please click here.

As always, we’re incredibly grateful to each and every one of you who have shared the cause with your network, raised diapers in communities across the country, and helped the cause in your invaluable ways.

And I just have to say one last thing to you all: Neither HAMO, nor the larger cause, will succeed without your involvement. THANK YOU for helping mothers and children who lack one of the most basic of needs, diapers.

Photo credit via Creative Commons 2.0: vistamommy

SF Bay Area Diaper Program Needs Help With Storage

We are on the hunt for temporary donated storage for our San Francisco Bay Area diaper program.

If you or someone you know is in the commercial real estate business, or owns a storage facility, we’d love your help in procuring donated space for the next six to nine months.

Here are the deets:

  • We’re looking for donated space – rent free/trade (December 2010)
  • Ideal cities: San Francisco, Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda
  • 750 square feet of warehouse-type storage space (shared  is fine!)
  • We need to be able to store pallets of product.
  • Access to loading dock a plus.
  • We need access to the space 1-3 times per month.

We’re low maintenance!

  • We have a virtual office, so we don’t need desk space.
  • We can offer our donor promotional consideration via our website and social media channels.
  • If desired, we can drive traffic to your location by holding community events.

Most importantly, our donor will be doing a tremendous good deed and make a significant impact on the work we do to help struggling families in the greater Bay Area.

Know someone? Please pass it on!

Contact: lisa (at) helpamotherout (dotorg)

Photo credit: Wendy Copley

San Diego: Are You Going To Cruise for the Cause?

We’re so grateful to Xavier the X-Man for including our cause in his annual benefit car show in San Diego. A portion of the proceeds from T Shirt sales, as well as a portion of the day’s sales from our friends at Pachuca Cosmetics, will benefit our local diaper program.  Shout out to Alicia for making the magic happen!

MAGIC 92.5 presents Xavier The X-Man’s 8th Annual Cruise for the Cause Blood & Bone Marrow Drive Car Show on Saturday, August 14th at Otay Ranch Town Center from 10a to 3p. Stop by to donate blood and get on the National Bone Marrow registry. Together we can save lives and help kids with cancer.

“Hey it’s Xavier The X-Man, I personally want to invite each and every one of you to the 8th Annual Cruise for the Cause Blood & Bone Marrow Drive Car Show at Otay Ranch Town Center inChula Vista, CA. We’re taking over the middle of the mall and the huge walk way on the side of the mall. This year makes me more excited than others because not only are we going to have more room for this great event but hopefully more people can participate and donate blood with the easy access of the venue. Remember, you don’t need to be into cars to help save a life. We are inviting every one to join us … Classic carsLowridersHot RodsTuners, Bikes, Customs, SUV’s, TrucksandMotorcycles. Please spread the word about this years The X-Man’s Cruise from the Cause Car Show, I really need your help to make this a success.

Part of the proceeds will benefit Help A Mother Out.org, helping homeless mothers with kids & Emilo Nares Foundation, helping children with Cancer.

http://www.helpamotherout.org/

http://www.emilionaresfoundation.org/

I hope to see everyone there… including past participants and I would like to encourage other groups to come out as well as more families and companies. Til next time ~ Xavier The X-Man

Bottoms Covered #ELB

We had an incredible community event on Wednesday June 30th, which we put together to celebrate our Every Little Bottom donation from Huggies.

Pictured above is one of our youngest volunteers handing out diapers to Mel S. from WDDC, one of our FIRST partner agencies. Mel is the volunteer coordinator whom we met a little over a year ago. WDDC took 50 cases of diapers on Wednesday. I think they’ll be able to give out more than 6 diapers per mom now.

We had about 8 agencies come by to celebrate the momentous occasion with us. The energy was amazing and everyone pitched it to do their share. It was… very grassroots.

Some of our original agencies were able to come and bring back truck and van loads of diapers (all large sizes!) to stock their shelves for the hot summer months. Moms loaded up their station wagons full of diapers to bring to more agencies.


Photo credit: Wendy Copley (http://wendolonia.com/blog/)

Whitney rallied her crew to join in and keep the diapers moving. Please note the crutches (She broke her foot a few days prior and still drove over to lend a hand!).

Wendy and her son W. came over to help load diapers and document the day. We loaded up her car with diapers to bring back to an east bay agency. Mike and his daughter E. came by and got down to business with the pallet jack. It was so great to see our youngest volunteers really wanting to be there “to help the babies.”

My friend Del helped organize the event and Steve just totally brought it together and made a lot of behind the scenes happen.

We are totally, we mean Totally, indebted to our friends at City-Core Development for donating space to house the diaper donation. Are you looking for office space to lease? Check them out and tell them we sent you 

At the distribution I had a great conversation with a social worker from a newer partner agency on the  peninsula. We were talking about how so many of her clients are struggling with the basics. Parents are working long hours and it literally comes down to paying the utility bill, putting food on the table, or keeping an adequate supply of diapers. She talked about how when she has diapers, which is not too frequent, she can give them to her clients and then they can focus on more solving more pressing issues.

It felt completely awesome to load up the social worker’s car with diapers for her clients. My hope is that we can figure out a way to continue the momentum this windfall donation helped start.

Big Hugs to Huggies for literally covering a whole lot of little bottoms the Bay Area this week. We’re having an amazing time bringing your diapers to moms who really need them!

Check out Wendy’s photos from the day:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendycopley/sets/72157624272058027/

Seattle Diaper Drive Results and Wrap Up

We had a great result from our Seattle area diaper drive events – we collected about 10,000 diapersto benefit WestSide Baby in West Seattle and Eastside Baby Corner in Issaquah.  We approached the diaper drive with a true grassroots communication on “How You Can Help” with information on how to host a diaper drive.  My goal here was to get all my friends (and their friends) to reach out to their schools, community organizations, and businesses to collect diapers.  Although I didn’t get lots and lots of participation, my own kids’ schools participated with great results — so I plan to build on this (see below).  In addition, we had a number of great events, all contributing to the overall number with varying degrees of success.  I thought I’d share what we did and how we think we’ll continue our efforts in the Seattle area.

The Official Diaper Drive. We were very fortunate to have three The Little Gym locations (West Seattle, Bellevue, and Issaquah) dedicate their summer Open House events to be diaper drives.   The Little Gym helped to promote the events and each location collected between 850 – 950 diapers.  We had about 40 kids at each location, with most of the attendees being members of The Little Gym.   The day of the event was the first sunny day in 3 weeks, so we think that may have also impacted attendance.  The Little Gym staff did a great job of coordinating efforts and staffing the gyms while we obtained door prizes and goodies, promoted the event in our own networks, and showed up to represent HAMO and our great beneficiaries!  We had Eastside Baby Corner lead the event in Issaquah, WestSide Baby lead the event in West Seattle, and I led the Bellevue event.  This was fun, was great outreach to families, and generated over 2500 diapers.  That being said, we put forth a lot of effort to do this!  Thanks again to our donors:  Booginhead, Deep South Staples, Embrace ActivismLots to Say BabyNew York CupcakesNorth Star Fine CoffeesReUsiesThe Little Gym, andSugar Rush Bakery.

Mommypreneur Event. I organized a Mommypreneur networking event at WestSide Baby on a Thursday evening.  The goal of this event was to promote networking among local Mommypreneurs along with collecting diapers and door prizes for our events.  The turnout for this was very disappointing (big thanks to those who attended including Eastside Baby Corner and to WestSide Baby for hosting and Resourceful HRSteller SolutionsStroller Strides, and ReUsies) but I would definitely try this again as I think it’s a great market to get the word out about HAMO.

Community Outreach. I put together a flier for all my mommy friends on “How You Can Help.”  The flier talked about HAMO and hosting your own diaper drives.  I had one friend and two business groups host diaper drives, generating about 1100 diapers.  I think this is a great way to promote HAMO and gather diapers.

School Events. As part of the community outreach, I suggested that people contact their kids schools or even just individual classrooms to hold a diaper drive.  My son’s kindergarden class alone collected over 300 diapers.  The biggest success, though, was that my daughter’s pre-school,Bellevue Montessori School, made the HAMO diaper drive their spring charity event and collected over 3100 diapers!  My effort for these school events was minimal – I created a flier for the school or teacher and picked up the diapers at the end – and the results were amazing (in my opinion).

My plan going forward is to reach out to all the pre-schools I can find during the September and October timeframe asking them to consider a HAMO diaper drive as a charity event for their school sometime during the school year.  Many of these schools already have some kind of charity drive (i.e. school supplies, canned food, toys) and getting HAMO on their radar early on is important.  The families with pre-school age kids are often still buying diapers or have left overs at home, making it really easy for them to participate.

We are also planning to do The Little Gym events again next year as this was a great partnership with a lot of success!

For more information or to participate in future Seattle area HAMO events, contact me atmichelle@equinoxbusinesslaw.com

A Date With Diapers

On May 1, the Los Angeles chapter of Help a Mother Out threw a Date Night Cocktail Party in Encino, CA.  Hosted by myself,  Julia from Safety Graphic Fun and LA Metblogs, and Tania from Pure Natural Diva who also opened up her home to us, the evening featured wine and snacks by Fresh and Easy, a selection of Tillamook cheeses, and healthy iced teas and soft drinks from Steaz.

My first take-home message from this event is that we collected 3,284 diapers and 1,000 wipes.  The men and women of our community are incredibly generous, showing that even if they don’t have children, they understand how horrible it can be to be a baby without diapers.  I’m pleased to have given people the opportunity to have a great night out while also contributing to a good cause.

Another lesson learned – this was the easiest party I ever put together.  I’m so glad I was healthy enough to attend!  I used Event Brite to manage invitations and RSVP’s and the guest list.  I highly recommend having co-hosts and throwing your next party at someone else’s house.  Having two other well-connected women involved meant three times the promotion, and a division of hosting duties throughout the evening.  Each of us was free to work the room.

The pre-packaged foods from Fresh & Easy were simple to plate and present, and the cheese – well, all we did was slice some cheese and put it out on platters with assorted accompaniments.  Keeping to the wine theme meant a streamlined bar.  Tania is all about conservation and recycling, so we didn’t use any paper products.  To that end, she had hired someone to help clear plates and glasses and keep freshly washed ones coming.


Yvonne and Todd Condes, Sarah Auerswald, and Stacy Surabian - photo by Laura Clark

...and there's Laura Clark, right, with Florinda Pendley-Vasquez

The guests were able to mix and mingle and talk with each other without shouting because the groovy music, provided by DJ Brian Klotz, was kept at a level that entertained without drowning out all other sound.  For additional entertainment, we had a few hours in the Game Truck, where party-goers bowled, raced, or rocked out with Rock Band.

The turnout was fantastic, with few no-shows.  I was happy to see many of my fellow Los Angeles Moms bloggers in attendance, lots of friends, and lots of new and interesting people, too.  The fact that we kept the guest list to 50 or under (not age, number) meant that people were able to have real conversations.  The last guest didn’t leave until close to 11:30 PM.  It all goes to show you that these Valley moms and their friends can still party, yo.

But we party with a purpose.


Julia, Kim, and Tania - photo by Sarah Auerswald

Thank you!

Learn, Knit, Give

Inspired by the event that started it all, the Tucson contingent of Help A Mother Out organized a Learn-to-Knit Party Fundraiser for the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona.

On a warm May day in Tucson (most of them are) a motley, but enthusiastic group gathered to try their hand at this time honored craft. Our regional non-profit hospital, Tucson Medical Center, provided not only a fine setting, but also the yarn and needles meaning all donations went to the Diaper Bank.

Along with enough donations to purchase 2,700 size 4 diapers, a whole bunch of awareness, ideas and volunteers for future events were raised as a result of this event.
In the works as a direct result of this event:

A learn-to-crochet party for Fall
A karaoke party (one pack of diapers to enter, another if you refuse to sing)
Diaper drives at local schools and university departments
Diaper drive at Cinema La Placita

Along with TMC’s support, the following generously supplied fabulous door prizes:
Velvet Glass
Kiwi Knitting
Sparkle and Charm
Hillary Rosenfeld LMT
Erin Debenport

Many thanks all!

Playdate For a Cause = 17K Diapers

Photo credit: Travis Jensen (http://www.travisjensensf.com/)

Big thanks to everyone who came out to our May 2nd Playdate for a Cause event in San Francisco.  We had about 60 families attend and raised enough funds and in kind donations to net 17,000 diapers. That’s 2K more diapers than we collected last year during the entire month of May!

Photo credit: Travis Jensen (http://www.travisjensensf.com/)

Our hostess for the afternoon, Whitney Moss of Rookie Moms, held court in the main Peekadoodleplace space, welcoming our guests including local bloggers Wendy of WendoloniaKelly Tirman, and Lizzie of LizzieBtv, who covered our event with this video:

The Playdate would not have even happened if it were not for the  mobilizing efforts of our very ownJulie Michelle, Buffy Robyn Kinstle, and Whitney Moss.  Seriously folks, you have NO IDEA how much work these three put into this event.

Amber of Wizbang Photography totally knocked our socks off with the photobooth, while Travis Jensen shot action photos (see our Flickr set for more) of toddlers rockin’ out their sugar high from all the cupcake decorating.

Photo credit: Travis Jensen (http://www.travisjensensf.com/)

More troops who volunteered include Kate Skogen, Helene Kwong, Amy Martin, and Sarah Wall – all of whom, we suspect, went home exhausted from the toddler and preschooler mayhem.

To everyone who donated their time and expertise into making this benefit a success, as well as to all the families who came out to support our cause (as well as the ones who couldn’t be there but donated anyway!), we are grateful for all that you have done and continue to do to help HAMO along.

For those who missed out on the fun, there’s still time to contribute!

Donate online or in person by May 31st.

A word about our supporters:

The Playdate wouldn’t have been nearly a smashing success were it not for our generous sponsors and raffle donors. Thank you so much for enabling us to throw a rockin diaper drive benefit and celebrate our 1 year anniversary.

Main sponsor: Huggies (big hugs for continuing the support our cause! They also sent over a massive donation of diapers, wipes, and baby toiletries for our partners!)

Presenting sponsor: Peekadoodle KidsClub (our friends are a real class act peeps!)

In Kind Gold Sponsors: BiRite MarketAidell’s SausageOrganic Valley, and Method Home.

Disclosure: I personally buy product for my household from each of these excellent businesses– how swell they wanted to support HAMO! No one paid me to say any of this!

Additional sponsors and raffle donors:

Burt’s Bees

Dolores Park Pilates

Earth Baby

Honest Teas

Jen Knight

Kate Skogen, JetKat Design

Jody at Park Salon

Julie Michelle, Femme Fotographie

Leapfrog

Mary’s Gone Crackers

Mighty Leaf Teas

Movement Lab SF

Mrs. Meyers

Natural Resources

Plum Organics

Rebecca Smith, Relaxmith

Revolution Foods

St. Clement Wine

The Sak

Whitney Moss, Rookie Moms

Amber Dubya, Wizbang Photography

 

Mother’s Day Call To Action

Can you imagine not having enough diapers for your baby?  Did you know that diapers are not covered under safety net programs like food stamps or WIC? For many families in crisis this can mean being forced to choose between affording other basic human needs — shelter, food, medicine, or diapers. Until we started Help A Mother Out, we didn’t know any of this. We’re working to help improve the lives of mothers, children, and families, one diaper at a time. Won’t you join us?

This year Mother’s Day is on May 9th. We’ll be celebrating the entire month of May both by raising diapers and awareness of this basic human need.

Your Call To Action:

ATTEND one of our sponsored events (check back frequently as we add more cities to this roster).

California:

Outside California:

COLLECT diapers* at your school, work, community group, or place of worship.

DONATE IN PERSON (CA) OR ONLINE.

PASS IT ON: Talk about this issue with others. No mother should have to choose between food or diapers for her baby.

*Be sure to report back to us on your May diaper collection efforts…we want to hear about it! Post a comment HERE or email us info at helpamotherout.org.

Swell magenta HAMO Mother’s Day, 2010 campaign button designed by Kate at Jet Kat Design. Thanks Kate!

Click here for press release (4/20/10)

Bay Area Mamas: Are You Going? March 28 Swap Meet

Download our flyer and share with your local parenting group and community bulletin boards!

When: Sunday, March 28, 2 – 5pm
WhereNatural Resources, 1367 Valencia Street (at 25th Street), San Francisco, CA 94110
What: Infant & Toddler Clothing Swap
WhoNatural Resources & Maternity Xchange, to benefit Help a Mother Out (www.helpamotherout.org)
Why: Because baby needs new shoes, and pants, and shirts, and sleepers, and more! Plus, you get a 10% coupon for any shopping you do at Natural Resources the day of the swap
Cost: A package of size 4-6 diapers or pull-up’s OR $10

Natural Resources and Maternity Xchange are offering families all over the Bay Area a chance to exchange gently used (unstained) infant and toddler clothing and at the same time support San Francisco’s most vulnerable families. The event benefits Help a Mother Out (HAMO), a local grassroots campaign whose mission is to help improve the lives of families in need one diaper at a time.
From 2 – 5pm on Sunday, March 28, Natural Resources turns into a swap meet! Bring your child’s clean clothes sized Newborn to 3T and trade them in for the size you need now. Any surplus clothes will be delivered directly to HAMO’s San Francisco partners, Homeless Prenatal Program and APA Family Support Services.

The only entrance fee is a pack of large-size diapers (size 4-6 or Pull-Up’s) for the mothers and children served by our friends at HAMO. If you don’t want to bring diapers, a cash fee of $10 is requested. 100% of funds collected will be put towards purchasing diapers for HAMO’s San Francisco partners.

All participants will receive a 10% off coupon for any shopping they do the day of the swap.

Come one, come all, swap your child’s clothes for more of the same, only bigger!

PLEASE PRE-REGISTER TO ATTEND: Natural Resources & Maternity Xchange Infant & Toddler Clothing Swap

Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=327699417237

You can help us spread the word by sharing the event details with your parenting listserv and online community!

Meet La Tanya

Part of what we hope to do this year is bring you guys closer to the folks who are benefiting from all the diapers you raise. Back in December I received a desperate email from a social worker by the name of La Tanya.

La Tanya found us by chance.  She picked up Parent’s Press, and saw our mention in it. She works with homeless families at the Center for the Vulnerable Child (CVC), run by Children’s Hospital of Oakland (CHO). You wouldn’t believe the lengths she has gone to obtain diapers. If you were in a situation where you needed a social worker, you’d want someone just like her.

So a few days before Christmas, with my car loaded with diapers,  I went to visit La Tanya to learn more about the families the CVC serves.

What is a vulnerable child?

According to CVC, vulnerable children live in environments that may put them at risk for social, educational, physical, or mental health problems. Families facing poverty, unstable housing or substance abuse are just a few examples of vulnerable populations. They include homeless children, families in transition, and foster children.

CVC serves about 450 families annually all over the East Bay including Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond. They even serve foster children who are living as far away as Stockton, since Medi-Cal rules dictate children must continue to receive care (e.g., go to the doctor, see a mental health therapist) in the county they originated from.

As it is with many social workers, diapers are like gold for La Tanya. In the past, she has had to rely on the kindness of personal friends who send gift cards so that she can purchase diapers for her clients. Diapers are so expensive in the Oakland inner city that in the past she has gone to the big box store to personally purchase diapers for her clients.

Some clients have admitted to her they sell their food stamps so they can afford diapers. Some of her clients have collected aluminum cans to redeem for money to purchase diapers and other hygiene needs. Some clients have admitted to reusing diapers. Many clients are reluctant to even talk about their need for diapers, because they fear agencies like Child Protective Services will take their children away. They are so scared, in fact, that they will neglect to mention it when they come to see the doctor at the free medical clinic.

When she doesn’t have diapers, La Tanya sends her families across town by bus. In west Oakland,  St. Vincent de Paul’s distributes TWO diapers.

We’ve been able to make additional donations to the  CVC due to the support from all of you guys. La Tanya and everyone at the CVC now have supplemental diapers they can give families who are struggling.

Big shout out to our Bay Area contributor, Janice, who has been managing the newest donation point at the Nurture Center in Lafayette and helping to shuttle diapers to places like CVC and WDDC! Thanks Janice!

Happy New Year!

What a year!

When we started HAMO in the spring of this year we thought we were going to do a health and hygiene drive, maybe collect extra hotel soaps and a thousand diapers and wipes – mostly from our immediate network of friends, colleagues, and neighborhood list servs. We set up shop, invested a little money and a whole lot of sweat equity. We recruited a handful of friends in other cities to take part in our little experiment. Everything on the fly, everything not by the book, all in between life.  At the end of the month, together with our enlisted friends, we collected 15,000 diapers. I originally bought the donation bins and planned to re-appropriate them as rain barrels once the drive was over. I still don’t have rain barrels.

We joked about getting on Twitter.

We called in A LOT of favors.

We discovered diaper banks existed. We found out the Bay Area’s only diaper bank closed it’s doorsright before Mother’s Day (HAMO alumni, Sarah, is currently working to revive it – stay tuned!)

A world of family homelessness and poverty in our own backyards revealed itself.

We met some amazing new friends and advocates who pushed us to think beyond our immediate lives in order to connect the dots.

We called in MORE favors.

As of this writing, HAMO has collected a little over 135,000 diapers, plus countless wipes and other basic supplies. It’s an awesome number to look at isn’t it?

That number doesn’t just represent the number of times a baby gets changed into a clean diaper. It doesn’t represent the actions of one individual, or even a handful of individuals. The thing is, this number is just a small part of the story.

Lives have been made easier by that number. Families were able to pay their utility bill. Women fleeing domestic violence did not have to take a bus across town just to get emergency diapers. Their shelter had diapers to give them. Social workers brought diapers to isolated single mothers with limited resources and no family support. Families facing dire situations and crisis were able to concentrate on more pressing matters, instead of worrying whether or not they would run out of clean diapers for their baby before payday. Mothers could stay in school or go to work. Food was put on tables. Babies went to bed at night with a clean diaper. They didn’t get painful diaper rash. Their parents could afford medicine. We created a little safety net in our immediate communities. Our babies were kept safe and healthy.

But that isn’t the whole story.

We are all part of the story too. To our immediate friends and family – thank you. To all who collected and donated diapers, to all who came forward and asked how you could help by lending your expertise, spreading the word, writing about us, telling your friends and colleagues, tweeting, retweeting and facebooking us, to the women (and men!) who donated their valuable time – thank you. To the COUNTLESS friends, new and old, who gave a little (or a lot) of their time, to making this number a reality – thank you. To our diaper bank friends from around the country – thank you for sharing your knowledge and vision. To the moms who donated their open packs of diapers your baby outgrew – thank you. To our friends at our favorite mom run businesses, who agreed to be a donation location and spread the word to your network – thank you. To all the companies and individuals who donated diapers, money, and supplies for our special events – thank you. To all the mommy bloggers and non-mom bloggers who took the time to click, listen and helped spread the word (in some cases – host diaper drives!)- thank you. To the handful of journalists who discovered our blog or took the time to read our scrappy excuse for a press release – thank you. To our partners, who work quietly everyday to help struggling families – thank you for your inspiration and for doing the important work you do. You are all part of this story.

All of us at HAMO wish you a happy and safe new year. We are working hard to continue the campaign next year. We are going to need a lot more help. Thank you for being part of this experiment.

Carolyn’s Thoughts on a Monday, Cook for the WDDC

We wanted to share a little glimmer of hope that many of you have had a big part of. This is a guest post from WDDC’s Monday cook, Carolyn.

***


Photo credit: www.sistersproject.org

I often wish news agencies would publish more hopeful, positive articles in this era of, more often than not, bad news. So I thought I’d give a shout out to those folk who quietly make the world a better place. I cook lunch every week at a women’s shelter (Women’s Day-time Drop in Center in Berkeley). This center is located in a small house next door to a playground and staff by some of the kindest and dedicated folks.

Here’s a snapshot of my Mondays.

As I peel carrots or slice bread in preparation for lunch I’m in awe of all the folks who make that possible. My kitchen partner, Sandy, who’s showed me the ropes with her 15 years of weekly volunteer experience at the shelter, Then there’s the 91 year-old gent who picks up leftover bread from local bakeries and drops it off. We smile when we see him as he’s spry and in his vision of a perfect society he’d like to “put us out of business” as he hopes there would be no need for homeless shelters. Amy stops by each week with produce from her garden so I can put fresh chard in a frittata and than there’s Victor who bring us extras—pasta from Chez Panisse or tomatoes from the Farmer’s market. David, a general contractor showed up yesterday to rebuild the bookcases and put shelves in the storage shed and Wendy leads a craft session each week with the ladies. I love the smiles on the client’s faces as they show off a necklace or earrings they just made. Lisa and Rachel show up with diapers, toiletries and school supplies as they are running a back-to-school drive through a website they have created (helpamotherout.org) So when the world news gets me I look forward to my Mondays.

– Carolyn Weil, Monday cook for the WDDC

By donating diapers to our campaign you are directly supporting our partners like WDDC. Together we’ve made a difference Bay Area and beyond. Thank you for being a part of this.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Baby, it’s cold outside: Share some warmth

This is a cross post from our friend Rebecca Freed of Becca’s Blog. Becca and her partner were the host of last spring’s Learn to knit party, where Rachel F. and I first learned about WDDC, which was pivotal in the evolution of HAMO. If you are an East Bay local, please see if you can help.

Photo credit: www.sistersproject.org

Right now, when we’re having the lowest temperatures of the year and wet weather to boot, the clients of the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center could really use your help.

The Drop-in Center needs warm clothes for women and kids, including rain ponchos and coats, umbrellas, socks, hats and gloves.

The center, which has served Berkeley’s homeless and low-income women
and children for over 20 years, provides breakfast and lunch on weekdays, along with support groups, referrals to social services, and a children’s program. The center always needs toiletries to provide to clients, including toothpaste and deodorant.  Diapers, especially for toddlers, are also an ongoing need. An easy way to donate diapers is through the center’s Amazon wish list.

Photo credit: www.sistersproject.org

The center hosts a holiday party for clients as well. You can donate
gifts for women and kids, especially older kids, or even volunteer to
help put on the party. To arrange for a donation, contact the center
by phone (510-548-2884) or e-mail (staff@womensdropin.org).

Giving Back Spotlight: Whitney of RookieMoms.com

During our Give Cheeks a Chance! September campaign, local Bay Area blogger, Whitney of RookieMoms.com pledged to raise 1000 diapers for our partner agency, WDDC. She ended up raising 2500 diapers!  We are eternally grateful to Whitney, for being an early supporter of our campaign, and for turning rhetoric into action!

This is a cross post from RookieMoms.com.

At the beginning of September, I set out to rally my peeps for a diaper drive. I was inspired by Help A Mother Out and figured that between my children’s two schools, my family, neighbors, and friends, I would be able to generate a 1000-diaper donation for my nearby women’s drop-in center. They serve a population of women who don’t always have the money for diapers they need and whose public assistance funds are not always applicable for diapers.

Now for my bragging
Thanks my neighbors and friends, the box I placed outside my side door got filled many times over with diapers. When I first counted and realized I was at 600, I began to worry that 1000 was a lofty goal. I sent a status update email to motivate my network. I cheered myself on publicly via Facebook. As my self-assigned deadline approached, the diapers appeared at a faster pace. I was excited.

I attended a little gathering of bloggers at an E.L.F. make-up party and asked those ladies to donate. Some gave diapers and some gave me cash. (Turns out that women who have never themselves shopped for diapers are overwhelmed by the thought of choosing a size and brand.) The cash was worth even more than the face value as my husband took it to CVS and used some heavy-weight coupons and his clever math strategery to maximize the number of diapers he brought home.

Photo from RookieMoms.com

I was proud. I had about 1500 diapers spread all over the floor in my home office. I took them to the Women’s Drop-In Center and spent the rest of the day feeling like a powerful superhero.

And then. More.

My friend Kimberley, a recipient of my email call to action, passed the word about my drive to her associates at Safeway, our regional grocery chain. The marketing person in charge of their house brand, Mom to Mom, decided she would match my drive with a generous donation of 1000 diapers from Safeway. I picked them up at my local store and headed back to the Women’s Drop-In center. I hope that the Mom to Mom team spent the rest of their day feeling like superheroes.

Photo from RookieMoms.com

Frequently Asked Question: What about cloth?
When I initially posted about this and also asked my neighbors for donations, many asked why these folks do not use cloth diapers. Yes, for those of us who have a predictable place to hang our diaper bags each night, cloth diapers may be a money-saving choice. Imagine you are in transition, however. Different friends and shelters are serving as your bed each night. Or perhaps your apartment does not have a laundry facility on site, and laundromats do not allow diaper washing for sanitary reasons. For those folks and for the truly homeless, carting around soiled diapers until laundry becomes available is simply not practical.

Did anyone else take my challenge and become a diaper superhero? What are you waiting for?

Tucson Mamas! Come out for Stroll and Roll!

This is a cross post from our gal Rachel M. who also contributes over at Tucson Mama. If you are local, join the Tucson Mama/Help A Mother Out group and stroll together! RSVP via Facebook or by contacting Rachel M. directly.

We have a soft spot for the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona here at Tucson Mama. This is an amazing organization addressing a need that our social safety net does not. Diapers, wipes, sanitary pads and tampons are not luxury items and the demand is ever higher for them as more Tucson families feel the pinch. With this in mind mark your calendar on November 14th for a fun event:

Pop your child (or children) in the carrier or pram, put on a pair of sneakers and join us for a 2 mile stroll around Reid Park to benefit the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona.

The Diaper Bank’s First Annual Stroll & Roll starts with registration at 8am (Reid Park Ramada 31 – near Hi Corbett Field) and the walk begins at 9am. There will be refreshments, live music and family fun after the walk. Get this, registered walkers will get into Reid Park Zoo for free!

If you’re interested in being part of a Tucsonmama/Help A Mother Out Team let me know via diaperdrive at gmail dot com or my regular email if you know that
Registration is $25 for each adult and $5 for each child over three. Each participant (adult & child) will receive a free t-shirt if registered by October 30th.

Tucson Mama Sidekick – Rachel M.

The Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona is one of our diaper bank network partners. You can also donate diapers directly online via theirAmazon.com wishlist.

Cheeks Be With You!

Thank you to all of our Give Cheeks a Chance! supporters. Because of YOU, we collected over 35,000 diapers/pull ups for homeless and low income Bay Area babies. Prior to Give Cheeks a Chance! our diaper count was 25,680. It is now 61,222!

Big thank you to Sarah Gibbs, our San Jose Chapter Manager, for all that she did behind the scenes to make this effort a success in the South Bay.  Sarah especially kept busy connecting with goodie bag sponsors as well as shuttling diapers all around the South Bay. She is amazing. You should all buy her a drink.

Special shout outs to the following contributors, supporters, and mini drive hosts who made a difference in this effort:

Steve Walker & Holt Hinshaw

Karen Poznansky & Baby Buzz

Sue Older, Leah Ackerman-Hurst & SadieDeys Cafe staff

Shelby Shankland & Natural Resources

Patty Fisher at the San Jose Mercury News

Dana Lardner & Whimsical Walney

M. Felicity Chapman & Cubes and Crayons

Employees at Cisco Systems

Whitney Moss & RookieMoms.com

CJ BrasielJanet Fouts, Kathy & Dan Gibbs, Janice Hui, Khin Thomson, Diane Canepa, & Becca Freed


Here is some of what we collectively accomplished since late August:

  • All 22 babies staying at San Jose Family Shelter are diapered by HAMO.
  • SHCS case workers bring HAMO diapers to the neediest families (our diapers go directly to the case workers diaper closet!).
  • HPP and WDDC are able to supply emergency diapers to their homeless and low income clients. This especially helps at the end of the month when money is tight, as well as for families who have multiple children in diapers and/or who are currently living in homeless shelters.
  • Due to a large donation of “big kid” diapers, a WDDC client will have about two weeks supply of diapers for her child with special needs.
  • Due to the successful kick off event in the South Bay, we were able to make a one time diaper donation to Next Door Solutions.
  • APA Family Support Services distributed diapers to their families for the FIRST TIME EVER this past month.
  • Support Network for Battered Women will not have to send their clients across town by bus to get emergency diapers.
  • All 23 babies currently staying at Asian Women’s Home are all diapered by HAMO. Additionally, non-residential clients may also benefit from our diapers.

Thank you so much for taking direct action and making a difference. We could not have accomplished anything without the grassroots support in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties.

If we build, will they come?

We could really use your help in getting the word out about Shelter Network of San Mateo county (click for wishlist), Children’s Network of Solano county (click for wishlist), and St. John’s Shelter in Sacramento county (click here for wishlist). If you know any local moms and families who would like to make a difference in these communities, please tell them about us and how easy it is to contribute via our Virtual Diaper Drive.

Contact us anytime of the year: info (at) helpamotherout (dotorg) to host a diaper drive for any of our partners. Here is our diaper drive toolkit to help you get started.

Remember: Be sure to add our gift card offer to your holiday wishlist this year!  Check back soon for details.

We’re Gettin’ Cheeky

Photo credit: Whimsical Walney

Our kick off events last week went off with a big bang. Baby Buzz and SadieDey’s Cafe were both hoppin’ with folks who came out to support the cause.  We collected over 5,000 diapers, South Bay and East Bay combined. Additionally, mini-diaper drives are currently underway with various moms groups, local businesses, and individuals. BIG THANK YOU to all came out to kick off Give Cheeks a Chance! Together we are making this month count in the lives of homeless and low income families.

There is still time to contribute! Drop off or donate online by September 30, 2009.

Partners in attendance:

Asian Women’s Home (AACI)Brighter BeginningsWDDCHomeless Prenatal ProgramSacred Heart Community ServiceSan Jose Family ShelterSt. Anthony’s Foundation

Gift bag and raffle sponsors:

Baby Buzz

SadieDeys Cafe

Orchard Supply Hardware

Method

Festoon Salon, Karen Jones

Barefoot and Pregnant

Bath By Bettijo

Mothering Rocks

Little Lamb Design

Diaper Shops

Baby Legs

Sketchers Kids

Puma Kids

Cubes & Crayons, Outside the Cube

Beadzilla

Fog City Charms

Send Out Cards

Motherhood to Otherhood

Align The Self

San Jose Family Shelter

Valley Credit Union

Emmy L Noble at Joyful Waters

Menacing Pickle

Off Ramp Publishing

CJBrasiel

Janet Fouts

Knitting as Public Service

Photo via Becca

Today’s guest post is from Becca Freed, who was there for the birth of Help a Mother Out, even if she (and we) didn’t know it at the time. As she describes below, this past spring Becca organized a learn-to-knit benefit party for the Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center, which both Lisa and I attended. With apologies to Becca — who was a thoughtful, extremely patient instructor — for us the most salient lesson of the day was about the crucial work done by the WDDC, and about their urgent needs. That day, everything clicked, and a few days later, Lisa and I started sketching out a plan for a Mother’s Day diapers-and-wipes donation drive, newly dubbed Help a Mother Out. We may not have quite gotten the hang of knitting yet, but only because we’ve been too busy trying to make good on the connections and inspiration we got that day.

***

Some knitters seem to think there is no problem that can’t be solved by knitting something. Whether it’s for servicepeople deployed to combat zones or a neighbor who’s lost everything in a house fire, a certain type of knitter will always leap into the breach and organize a drive to knit socks or a cozy blanket or a prayer shawl.

I’ve been knitting and crocheting since childhood, and don’t get me wrong–I’ve done my fair share of charity needlecraft, starting with granny-square lap robes for my local nursing home when I was in junior high. I just don’t think that knitting is the right response for every problem. For one thing, it’s slow. Do you know how long it takes to knit even a preemie cap? If handknits were really the solution to a problem, there would be a serious imbalance between supply and demand. That’s a bit facetious, but I wonder if all that knitting time wouldn’t be better spent lobbying or protesting for change, and whether knitted donations aren’t more about gratifying the the donor than fulfilling a need.

I had these doubts in mind when I approached the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center and asked if they needed a knitting teacher. I suspected my own motives and wondered whether I was offering something frivolous. But the volunteer coordinator assured me that to teach knitting to homeless and low-income women was to give them something of value –that the center’s clients needed more than just food, clothing, and shelter. I was reminded by this that homeless women and children are whole people; by offering a knitting class I would be honoring their creative impulses.

I’ve been teaching knitting and crochet at the center for about a year and a half now, and I see that the women and older kids do benefit from it. I’ve seen a piece of knitting in someone’s hands that takes their mind off anxieties and drug urges. Knitting can fill time waiting in social service offices, or waiting for the overnight shelter to open in the evening. A handmade hat or bag could be something to sell. But more frequently the clients benefit from knitting or crocheting the same ways that I do: acquiring a new skill is stimulating and satisfying; needlecrafting with a group is a nice way to socialize; and there’s just plain sensual pleasure in having beautifully colored and textured yarn running through your fingers.

Teaching at the Drop-in Center is fairly different from conducting a class at, say, a yarn store. Unstructured is the name of the game. I never know who will be there or what their skill set will be, so having a specific lesson to get through or project to finish is out of the question. Most of the time I teach casting on and the basic knit stitch (the very first steps to learning how to knit) over and over–and that’s OK. The clients at the center don’t know where they will be from week to week, and sometimes their stuff gets stolen because they’re living in a shelter with no secure storage. It’s fine with me if they take their supplies with them, or I can hold onto them from week to week. If I have to give someone a fresh set of needles and yarn every time they come, that’s not a problem. I rely on donated materials (but fellow knitters keep me supplied with yarn), and I’ve found some cheap sources of needles and crochet hooks.

I have to be ready for anything, including women who challenge my skills; I’m not a great crocheter, so I’ve had to brush up in order to help them. Often women have learned from their mothers or grandmothers and just need a refresher, and then it’s very possible that they’ll surpass my know-how.

I also get challenged personally on occasion, maybe by a client who’s in a volatile mood and ready to argue. That’s one of the ways that this volunteer gig has forced me to stretch and step out of my own comfort zone. I’ve learned to stay calm (at least on the outside) and communicate assertively. Even if my first impulse is to get out of the conflict by leaving the situation, I can ride it out and retain a respectful relationship with the client (and still mostly respect myself).

As much as I doubted my motives when I began, I also doubted my abilities. I doubted that I would know how to talk to women with lives so different from mine, and I was afraid of inadvertently saying something insensitive. With the volunteer coordinator’s help, I came to understand that it doesn’t take any special skill to meet someone where they are. You just listen to them, and respond the way you’d like to be talked to yourself.

I’ve also never thought that I had what it takes to be a teacher–I lack patience, and I can have a sharp tongue. But I’ve learned that I do know how to impart this particular skill, step by step, to another person. I can say “No, that’s not it–do it this way” nicely and without frustration, and I can cheer a client on when she gets the tricky part, and makes it to the end of the row. The opportunity for this kind of personal growth has really been a gift from the women to me. And more than anything else, being able to share my enthusiasm for knitting is very rewarding–I get a charge out of watching the clients ooh and ah over yarn or admire what they’ve made.

Of course the center is constantly scrambling for funds–it takes a lot of money to provide services to 150 women and children a month, including lunch every weekday. Last spring I hosted a “learn-to-knit” party with a good friend, to raise funds for the center and raise its profile among my friends and acquaintances. As a moneymaker it was modestly successful, but snagging the support of Rachel and Lisa of Help a Mother Out was a huge win.

I hope my tale shows that sharing your passion with the world is not frivolous, and can reap benefits you never expected.

***

You can help the Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center by purchasing supplies off their wishlist here. Enormous thanks to Becca for introducing us to both the WDDC and the world of knitting.

Leave It to the Big O, Again!

Did anyone catch the Big O show last week on Heroes in Hard Times? Whether you watch the Big O show or not, you should check it out to catch some great ideas and inspiration on how YOU can help out others in these dire economic times (Hey YOU, buy some diapers!).The Big O partnered withPeople Magazine to highlight these amazing everyday people who saw a need in their own communities, and tried to fill it.

The stories highlighted in the show include a doctor who started a free clinic for his small working-class town; the owner of an auto repair shop who started a non-profit that donates refurbished carsto struggling families, and a little girl (pictured above) who started a charity to collect socks for the homeless.

The take away from these stories is that we ALL can help out in one way or another when we start at a place that we know. We started with diapers (recent tally 12, 154 as of 5/24/09).

How about you? What is a need you see that needs to be filled? Do you have a story of an everyday hero in your own community? Tell us about it here.