The Call to Give

"The idea for Give Like a Mother came from my desire to be a bridge between people who have things they no longer use and people who need those very items. My job as a nurse anesthetist allowed me to build relationships with folks in both of the aforementioned groups. In one particular instance, a friend was in need of some items for her grandchildren that had recently been placed in her care. Within days we’d found her a crib, a high chair, a toddler bed, and large bins of clothing in each size the children were wearing. I thought to myself, 'we could make this happen any time someone needs a little help.'

One of the issues is that most of the time, the helpers and the helped don’t know each other, so there’s a gap that exists between these folks. That experience and several others like it told me that this is where I was supposed to be: bridging that gap. So, I began collecting items and distributing them out of my living room, then my garage, a self-storage unit, a warehouse, and finally, our new space in the Eastgate Mall!

In our first year, Give Like a Mother served around 200 kids. In 2023, just five years later, we served more than 2,600! Although these numbers seem huge, we are just scratching the surface of meeting the need. Our success is entirely dependent on the kindness and generosity of donors and volunteers. Although we continue to see a steady flow of gently used clothing, we are quickly identifying other areas of consistent need required to serve more children. Laundry services, storage space, and increased operational costs continue to grow each year and we are always looking for help in these areas.  

We greatly appreciate any consideration you would give to helping support our mission to Give Like a Mother."

Amy Vann 

Founder, Board Chairperson