‘Hey, Mom! It’s the diaper fairy!’ Volunteers keep the nappies happening

In June last year, thanks to Bob Maynard, I attended a Gig Harbor Kiwanis meeting at which its principal speaker, Ashley Hutchison, the Hub Coordinator at Eastside Baby Corner (EBC)/West Sound, spoke about support the club provides children, birth through 5 years old, identified by Peninsula School District as being in need.

Long story short, I’d never heard of EBC. A few weeks ago, Maynard arranged for me to visit its supply center in Bremerton to gain appreciation of its function and effectiveness. I was overwhelmed with its size, number of volunteers, professionalism, purpose, and the very large supply of needed items with which it deals.

For 50 weeks each year, volunteers and staff at EBC collect community donations, purchase and distribute children’s and maternity items to families in collaboration with organizations helping families in our area. EBC serves as a diaper bank, a clothing bank, and a food source for more than 800 kids each week. EBC practices smart purchasing in bulk, reliance on volunteers and in-kind donations, including warehouse space donated by Rowley Properties. EBC is the major source of baby food, formula, diapers, cribs and car seats for eleven local food banks.

Randi Stacy, who is the preschool family support coordinator for Artondale elementary’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, explained, “EBC is a wonderful community partner for the families I work with. Because of the donations and volunteers at EBC families I work with who are on limited income don’t have to chose one necessity over another.

“Thanks to the partnership with EBC our families don’t have to chose between having food for their families or having diapers for their baby, having enough money to keep the lights on or having warm winter clothes for their children, having money for gas for their car or having child safety precautions around the house.

”The best part of the partnership with EBC is the days we get to bring needed items to our families,” said Stacy. “To see first hand the impact EBC has on our families when we give them the things they have asked for is the best. I have had a few people compare a delivery day to Christmas, say that I am the female Santa, or the diaper fairy.

“If they are home, the kids get so excited to see what I’ve brought them. I’ve had kids jumping up and down when I knock on the door, and ready to help me bring in the crib for their baby brother or whatever else their family has asked for. On delivery days I go home with a full heart and a smile because I know I have helped our families meet a need they otherwise might not have met.”

Bob Maynard said, “Every year EBC has a “Diaper Derby” to see which business and civic groups can collect and donate the most diapers. In 2018 our Kiwanis Club participated, but not on a robust level. In 2019, there was a suggestion to challenge all community service clubs in the Gig Harbor/Key Peninsula area to participate in the Diaper Derby, which ran from May 3 - June 7.

”Our club not only provides volunteers who work at baby corner, but also provides funding to support the purchase of high-need items. Most recently, the club purchased almost $1,500 worth of kids safety items, stuff like door knob/handle covers, electrical outlet covers, etc.

Caren Halvorsen, Vaughn elementary ECEAP Preschool Family Support coordinator, knows the specific needs of the kids. She and her colleagues order through the system at Baby Corner what the kids need. She also volunteers at the warehouse in Bremerton to fill orders for pickup by providers.

EBC is growing. It provided 77,438 diapers in 2018. In Pierce County it saw 6.5 times the number of kids helped in 2018 over 2017, including 84 kids in Gig Harbor and 28 in Vaughn. Pierce Programs include the three schools participating: Artondale, Vaughn, and Evergreen.

EBC was founded in 1990 by Karen Ridlon, a local pediatric nurse practitioner, concerned that large numbers of babies in her practice began life without adequate food, clothing, beds or safety equipment.

Gig Harbor residents Barbara Bandoli and Bob Maynard encouraged Beverly Kincaid, who lives in Bremerton, to go to an EBC Holiday Open House. Kincaid caught the fever and the three of them decided to start a new “baby corner” in West Sound.

The EBC - WS Hub is located at 1463 NE Dawn Road, Suite B in Bremerton and can be reached at 360-616-0235, or by email at: westsoundinfo@babycorner.org. It has volunteer opportunities: Tuesdays from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm; Thursdays from 9:00 am - 11:00 am; First Saturday of the month from 9 am - 11 am.

For more info, contact: Bob Maynard, West Sound Co-Founder at 360.616.0235 (office) or 206.849.4995 (cell).