Babies grow up fast, and families are often stuck with lots of unwanted but perfectly good gear. That's why Marnie Owens and two friends started Baby2Baby, an organization that distributes new and gently used baby clothing and equipment to needy families living in the Los Angeles area. The Peetes talk with Marnie about Baby2Baby's mission and how others can get involved.
Marnie says Baby2Baby works to fulfill the requests of 12 Los Angeles organizations dealing with homelessness, domestic violence, teen pregnancy and family preservation. The charitable organizations are all in need of supplies, ranging from cribs and strollers to toys and clothing. "In Los Angeles, there's obviously the haves and the haves not, and there's a great excess of baby gear," she says. "Why not recycle it and put it in the hands of families that need it?"
While Marnie says Baby2Baby has received widespread support for its work, it is currently unable to provide assistance to mothers outside of Los Angeles. She encourages others to become active in their own communities and see what a big difference they can make. "We're three women who had an idea, and we just decided, 'Hey, let's go for it, let's try it,' and it's worked, it's taking off," Marnie says. "So we encourage people to do it. It's a lot of work, but it's not as hard as you think, and it's very satisfying."
