Baby banks are growing! Here is an inspiring story from Adele at Torquay:
Over the last 20 months the world has been turned upside down by Covid 19. This has presented us all with new challenges to overcome, both in our personal lives and our ecclesial lives, but Covid has certainly allowed great opportunities to reach out to our neighbours in new ways.
Torquay ecclesia is blessed with a large hall, and with most ecclesial activities being restricted, it was time to put the space to good use!
We identified a need for struggling families to obtain baby equipment and children's clothing as the charity shops were forced to close. There were also lots of people trying to get rid of their unwanted items with nowhere to donate them.
And so 'Ezra' began…
In January 2021 we began collecting items which could be quarantined and then cleaned in the hall, before rehoming to another family. We used a Facebook 'help hub' page to identify those in need. Once restrictions eased in April, we were able to open the hall on Saturday mornings for donations to be dropped off and families to collect what they needed.
With a dedicated Facebook page for the project, we soon started to pick up momentum.
We currently have over 500 followers, and are becoming increasingly busy!
We stopped counting after we had helped 100 families.
We are seeing new families each week, as well as familiar faces returning to recycle previous items and receive more support.
We are building relationships with families in our community and providing an essential service. We provide clothes for children up to 13 years old, along with toys and baby equipment. We make up Moses basket starter kits for mums to be, which are proving to be popular.
All items are provided free of charge, and the costs to run the project are minimal as we rely solely on donations. This project is run by two sisters, and although there is a lot of work to do, it's incredibly rewarding.
Here is some of the feedback we have received:
An Absolutely amazing idea! They have all you could need for a newborn baby and upwards! Such a great help to the local community as well as helping the planet by recycling preloved baby and children’s items. Thank you so much, you guys are amazing
Thank you for the fantastic work you are doing
The people that run this are simply the best. Thank you for your support and understanding
My Children were so happy with the toys and dresses they got from you. Thank you to you and your team for supporting us, God bless you all
Love Ezra! amazing way to help those who need baby & children clothes and toys
