Mom2Mom Baby Supply Giveaway Helps Families in Need

On Saturday, Jan. 28, local nonprofit Mom2Mom gave away free baby supplies and personal hygiene items to families in need. The event was hosted by Paint It Orange. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Kirstan Knipple, pictured here, founded the organization in March 2020 in response to needs she saw within her own community. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Mom2Mom held a baby supply giveaway Saturday, Jan. 28, at Paint It Orange. The organization was established in March 2020 by Kirstan Knipple and serves families throughout central Virginia.

Knipple has always prided herself in being resourceful, and at the start of the pandemic, she “had people texting left and right” asking where to find crucial supplies like diapers and formula. She started a Facebook group to address the concerns, which eventually grew into a door-to-door service before morphing into the giveaway model that Mom2Mom utilizes today.

As a single mother of two, Knipple has experienced her own share of difficulty when it comes to providing for her family, and her motto is that “no family should have to choose between buying diapers and paying bills.” With no state assistance specifically allotted to providing baby supplies and no diaper banks closer than Richmond or northern Virginia, she says this is a choice many parents in central Virginia are unfortunately forced to make.

Mom2Mom has helped as many as 74 families at a single event, but Knipple says that the numbers aren’t the most important part.

She noted, “Even if I just help one family, it was worth it.”

Giveaways take place each month in Orange at the following locations and dates: the second Friday of February, April, June, August, October and December at Orange Church of the Nazarene, located at 159 W. Nelson St.; and the fourth Saturday of January, March, May, July, September and November at Paint It Orange, located at 137 Caroline St. All items are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis and parents must be present in order to receive items.

Those who wish to donate supplies may bring them to Paint It Orange during business hours. Needed supplies include diapers (especially larger sizes and pull-ups), formula and baby wipes as well as personal hygiene items for family members. Volunteers are always welcome to help at events and can email mom2mom@gmail.com to sign up.

For more information, visit Mom2Mom online at www.mom2momva.org or on Facebook.