Photography by Whitney Curtis
Stephanie Williamson was skimming an issue of People magazine when she landed on a story about Lisa Klein, a California woman who founded Loved Twice, a nonprofit that donates baby clothing to those in need.
“It just laid on my heart for about a month,” Williamson says.
In 2011, Williamson established the local nonprofit organization Helping Hand-Me-Downs (helpinghandmedowns.org), which collects and distributes children’s clothing, blankets, diapers, and more, with a soft spot for newborns.
“I just really believe that every child deserves a chance, and that their first exposure to the world is right at birth,” Williamson says. “And some of these children are going home and there are no blankets, bottles… I just thought this was the best area to intervene.”
Almost immediately, donations poured in. In 2012, the nonprofit gave more than 22,000 items—575 boxes total—to families. Williamson and her team hope to increase donations to 900 boxes this year.
HMH’s Bring It Back (BIB) campaign asks mothers who receive donations to return items when they no longer need them. This bolsters the nonprofit’s focus on recycling, while empowering women to help their communities.
“Many times,” she says, “they’re giving back much more than we gave them.”
