First Due Movers [#EBCShareTheLove]

EBC has the BEST neighbors!  We are lucky enough to be located next door to First Due Movers, only the most fabulous moving company in the world! 

Haven’t heard of them before?  Well First Due Movers is locally owned and operated by Eastside firefighters. Whose goal is to provide a completely stress free move while delivering “white glove” service to our customers and their belongings. They strive to bring the same dedication, reputation and honesty to moving as they do to firefighting.

First Due’s team has been a huge help to EBC, from helping emptying our storage units, to moving nearly 400,000 diapers in ONE day in 100* weather!  They are always ready and willing to lend a hand (and a truck) to support EBC in anyway they can.

We asked Jeff and John (two of the “J Crew” … yes, nearly everyone who works at First Due’s name starts with a “J”) why they love EBC and continue to support us: 

“We help EBC because it helps in our neighborhood.” – Jeff

“Because they’re awesome!!!.” – John

 

Pictured Above: John & Jeff; First Due Movers

 

Thank you for all your help and continued commitment to help us serve the children in our community!

 

Want to participate? It’s fun and easy to share why YOU love EBC, a few ideas include:
Don’t forget to tag us in your posts/photo’s on Facebook and Twitter and use the hashtag #EBCShareTheLove.

• Take a photo of yourself holding a sign about why you love EBC and post it online.

• Leave a comment on our blog, Facebook or Twitter accounts about what EBC means to you.

• Send us an email about what EBC means to you.

• Retweet and/or Share the stories we post during the week using #EBCShareTheLove

• Have other ideas!?!  Feel free to jump right in and add your own.

Why does our staff love EBC? [#EBCShareTheLove]

Welcome to the first official day of Share the Love Week 2014!  Today we’re sharing why our staff loves the mission of Eastside Baby Corner.

EBC is run by a dedicated team of AMAZING VOLUNTEERS who over the last 24 years have donated endless hours of love to the children we serve.  Those volunteers are supported by a very lean team of staff members.  Our staff members are on hand to help our volunteers achieve the goal EBC set in 1990 of helping children thrive.

Pictured Above: Helen Banks Routon and Madeline Fish

“I love EBC for its infinite amount of volunteer energy and love poured into the heartbeat of this organization by our community.  I also love my dedicated staff that give every ounce of their energy to deliver our lofty mission each and every day.  I’m honored to be a part of this treasured organization!”
                                – Renee Zimmerman, Executive Director

“I love EBC because we give kids what they need…when they need it.”
                                – Helen Banks Routon, Director of Development and Community Relations

“I love EBC because we help children + families thrive!” 
                                – Madeline Fish, Volunteer/Program Manager

“I love that we guarantee we will have a safe car seat for a child to ride in, the exact formula a child needs to grow and diapers to keep little ones clean and happy!”
                               – Cori Benson, Community Engagement Coordinator

“I love EBC because we have a very dedicated group of staff and volunteers that are committed to serving children in need!”
                               – Sheila Ritchie, Development Associate

“I love knowing that I’m helping kids where I live, have the things I wanted my own kids to have.”
                               – Tracy Bury, Development Assistant

“I love that EBC has such a great staff, wonderful volunteers and we are able to help so many kids!”
                               – Amy Jones, Saturday Supervisor

 

Want to participate? It’s fun and easy to share why YOU love EBC, a few ideas include:
Don’t forget to tag us in your posts/photo’s on Facebook and Twitter and use the hashtag #EBCShareTheLove.

• Take a photo of yourself holding a sign about why you love EBC and post it online.

• Leave a comment on our blog, Facebook or Twitter accounts about what EBC means to you.

• Send us an email about what EBC means to you.

• Retweet and/or Share the stories we post during the week using #EBCShareTheLove

• Have other ideas!?!  Feel free to jump right in and add your own.

#EBCShareTheLove Week 2014!

Welcome to Eastside Baby Corner’s Share the Love Week 2014!

Every day this week we will be sharing the unique stories from different friends of EBC including: donors, providers, volunteers, fans and staff members about why they love our organization.  We welcome you to join us and get in on the fun of Share the Love Week!

Here are some of the responses we got last year during Share the Love Week:

• “Our volunteers Make it Happen!  We help bring community together to help provide a bridge to children and families.  It teaches my Cub Scouts the value of giving back.”
                              – Renee Zimmerman,  Longtime EBC supporter and EBC’s Executive Director
  
• “We love EBC because of the outstanding service it provides to local families and because of the opportunity it gives our students and families to help make a difference.”
                              – Kirkland Children’s School
  
• “I love Eastside Baby Corner for the hope it brings families and the help it provides so children and families can thrive. The best part is all the amazing volunteers who make it happen week after week.”
                              – Sara Needleman-Carlton, EBC Volunteer
  
• “Eastside Baby Corner, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… I love the mission (We help kids THRIVE!), I love the donors (thank you for bags of stuff!); I love the volunteers (thank you for your time!) and I love what we can accomplish together… it takes many dedicated people working together to sort and organize and sort and organize and, get the picture? We couldn’t reach 500 children on a weekly basis without your dedication. Thank you!”
                              – Madeline Fish, Volunteer/Program Manager
  
• “I love Eastside Baby Corner because with so little overhead they do amazing things in the community thanks to their awesome volunteers! Its always fun there!”
                              – Brandi Fields, EBC Volunteer and Supporter
  
• “Love EBC for the awesome and dedicated staff and volunteers who ensure that low income kids have what they need to thrive!”
                              – Liz Swanson, EBC Board President

Want to participate?
It’s fun and easy to share why YOU love EBC, a few ideas include:
     
Don’t forget to tag us in your posts/photo’s on Facebook and Twitter and use the hashtag #EBCShareTheLove. 

• Take a photo of yourself holding a sign about why you love EBC and post it online. 
• Leave a comment on our blog, Facebook or Twitter accounts about what EBC means to you.
• Send us an email about what EBC means to you.
• Retweet and/or Share the stories we post during the week using #EBCShareTheLove
• Have other ideas!?!  Feel free to jump right in and add your own.

Stop by tomorrow to see who we spotlight first!

One is The Loneliest Number…

See this lonely stroller?
The six wheeler gem will soon be transporting a precious baby through East King county.

We’d like to continue helping our little ones get around – consider donating the following:

STROLLERS NEEDED:
1. Full Size
2. Double
3. Jogger
4. Umbrella

DROP OFF SITES:
Eastside Baby Corner Hub – Issaquah
1510 Maple Street NW

Mary Queen of Peace – Sammamish
1121 228th Ave SE Sammamish, WA 98075

Lake Washington United Methodist Church, Kirkland
7525 132nd Ave NE Kirkland, WA 98033

Issaquah Highlands Self Storage, Issaquah Highlands
910 NE High St Issaquah, WA 98029

Thank you!

Back to School Giving…Why it’s Important

Back to school shopping is upon us – parents and kids everywhere are busy picking out trendy new outfits; carefully selecting their favorite color binders and choosing just the right backpacks.

We’d like to make sure all children in East King County will experience the excitement. Preparing children for the start of school sets the tone for the entire school year.

As we begin our backpack stuffing mission consider donating the following:

1. Pens (black, blue and red)
2. Scissors
3. Note book paper (wide and college rule)
4. Folders
5. Glue
6. Erasers

Items can be dropped off at our Eastside Baby Corner HUB 1510 Maple Street NW Issaquah 98027

Thank you and happy school year!

Drop Your Pants!

While summer is in full swing, the crisp cool weather of fall and winter has also made an appearance – a reminder that cooler (and wetter) weather is right around the corner.

Help our children start off the year prepared for the temps ahead by joining us Saturday, September 7th from 10am-1pm for our 4th annual Pants Party. Drop off a pair of pants (or two or three!) at our HUB and enjoy fun and games for the whole family.

It Takes a Lot of Hands…

It takes a lot of hands to sort, fold and organize our weekly donations of clothing, diapers and toys at Eastside Baby Corner.

Once our generous donors drop off these much needed items – our volunteers step up to the plate, putting in long hours to make certain we get those much needed items out to our families in need.

This week we’re highlighting students from Overlake School in Redmond. This enthusiastic group spent a day working with us this spring. Thank you!

Join Us For “American Winter”

Eastside Baby Corner is partnering with Leadership Eastside and Imagine Housing to host the screening of American Winter on Tuesday, August 13th.

American Winter follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Details: Tuesday, August 13th Bellevue Arts Museum
6:30-7pm Doors Open
7-8:30pm Screening
8:30-9pm Community Conversation

Farmers Life Group

On Wednesday, June 5th, we had the wonderful Farmers Life team in from Farmers Insurance for a day of caring!  They helped us with clothes sorting, baby food organization and other fun tasks around the warehouse!  They were a fantastic group and we loved having them in!

After the event we received an email from Dano Lewis, the coordinator and organizer of this day of service who shared his thoughts on Eastside Baby Corner:

It was truly our pleasure to be able to help out. What a great operation you have there I couldn’t believe how organized everything seems to be. I can appreciate the effort on your part that it must take to keep it that way. You guys provide a HUGE service to the community and it’s great to be able to spend a little bit of time helping your efforts.

Thanks again to the Farmers Life team!  You were a fantastic group to work with!

Out for a ride!

We hope you’re enjoying this beautiful Spring weather!  Our amazing bike team has been working endlessly to keep up with the number of bike orders requested each week.  This week alone we are giving out 12 bikes and we were able to fill every single order….helmet too!

This adorable Barbie bike will be going out to a lucky 4-year old girl tomorrow!