BabyGoRound is a registered non-profit organization which acts as a lifeline for low-income starter families and relies on generous donations and volunteer work in order to keep their altruistic vision afloat. They provide baby gear essentials to thousands of families through fundraising and donations. We spoke with Alyssa Gibson, the Senior Manager of Advancement, to learn more about what they do.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
Right now, thousands of low-income parents are struggling to care for their babies without the vital baby gear they need. They face agonizing anxiety, unable to afford critical baby essentials like cribs, car seats, clothing, strollers, and much more. BabyGoRound is responding – and you can help!
BabyGoRound responds to this urgent crisis by collecting gently used baby gear from families across the Lower Mainland, and connecting quality supplies to parents and babies who need them most.
BabyGoRound is the only non-profit in BC dedicated to providing low-income families with everything they need to safely care for their babies—creating kits of essential baby gear that will last up to two years. By ensuring these gently used supplies stay out of landfills and instead find families facing obstacles, BabyGoRound eases household anxiety, frees family dollars for other obligations like rent, and nurtures the long-term development of babies—creating brighter futures for babies and their families.
You can help struggling mothers and their babies. Donate your pre-loved baby gear today. For drop-off dates and more details, click here.
What problem does it aim to solve?
Providing resources to vulnerable and in-need families so they can safely care for their child during the first two years of life. Statistically, early intervention has the greatest long-term outcomes for the child so support during this time is specifically critical.
When did you start/join it?
BabyGoRound was founded in 2012. I joined first as a volunteer in 2017 and came on staff in 2019.
What made you want to get involved?
For myself and many, many others that I have spoken to, there is a somewhat universal acknowledgement that transitioning to parenthood is a big change, and often an incredibly challenging one. Changes related to reduced income, additional childcare costs, new housing needs for more family members — just from a practical perspective — and then add in relationship dynamics in the home, physical and emotional changes for the birthing parent, potentially postpartum mental health challenges… the list is pretty extensive and all-encompassing. These types of changes are what virtually all parents and caregivers experience to some degree, so when there are additional factors like having a combined household income of $40,000/year or less, being a single parent, and/or being new to the country without a community to rely on for support, it begins to feel quite impossible.
What was the situation like when you started?
In 2017, we were a very grass-roots organization that was very volunteer-run with one staff person. We served 815 families that year.
How has it changed since?
This last year, we served 1327 families — a 62% increase from 6 years ago — and also provide more comprehensive services for each family accessing our program. So both the quality of the program and quantity of families impacted have significantly grown and we have a wonderful team of 3 full-time and 3 part-time staff and about 70 volunteers to thank for that.
What more needs to be done?
We are in constant need of quality pre-loved gear donations. Many items like strollers, bassinets, infant carriers, and bouncy chairs are in excellent condition after a single family’s need for them comes to an end. Rather than sell these items online, or even potentially send them straight to a landfill site, we hope parents and caregivers will consider donating these items so we can match them with a family who truly needs them.
How can our readers help?
Donate pre-loved baby gear from our list of accepted items or donate financially.
Do you have any events coming up?
Yes! If you purchase tickets to the Ambleside Music Festival through our link, you get $25/off your ticket price with 100% of the proceeds going to BabyGoRound! 100 tickets purchased would mean over $10,000 going to BabyGoRound (note that the tickets MUST be purchased through our link or we do not receive proceeds and the discount is not applied).
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
