NYC Dads Group Gives Back by Volunteering at Baby Buggy: the Second Time Around

We are at a point in the year that deserves reflection about what we are thankful for.  Below, Gilbert R. touches on how fortunate he is as he shares a guest blog post about his experience of volunteering his time with Baby Buggy:

It was mid-October on a Saturday morning. I was rushing to make it to the New York City Dads meet up event at Baby Buggy on West 37th St. I arrived just a few minutes late. As I made my way to the 7th floor, I was welcomed by Ms. Elizabeth Smith, Volunteer Program Manager. I asked her to quickly instruct me on what needs to be done & I promised not to socialize (at least no that much) for the next 2 hours. I wanted to provide them (Baby Buggy) with as much energy, focus, & passion while volunteering my time.

With well over 500,000 children living in poverty in New York City, Baby Buggy’s strategy differs from other Non-Profit group’s such as Goodwill & Salvation Army. Where you can only hope those valued donations are being received by the people that require them…Baby Buggy works with a network of over 50 social service organizations within the 5 boroughs of New York City. For the past 10 years, Baby Buggy’s donations have gone directly to the children & families who need it most.

On this day, 11 members of The NYC Dads Group extend ourselves & assist with certain tasks. Task #1 was fulfilling NEED-List orders for a number of organizations. These lists required specific items & goods for their clients. They varied from clothing, shoes, diapers, children’s books, baby household goods, etc. Other tasks included cleaning & sterilizing donated items, and another was reorganizing the many donated books by appropriate age level. The community of dads worked well together & their efficiency showed.

As each task was completed, we were looking to do more. It was a very productive 2 hours for both Baby Buggy & The NYC Dad’s Group.
I personally know how touched I was during my first visit last year to the Baby Buggy headquarters. My daughter Sage was only 5-6 months old. Loving the feeling I felt from being a newly minted Dad! The amazing feeling that overwhelmed me every time I looked at my daughter. My wife & I are fortunate enough to have good health & provide for our own.

Therefore, it is so easy to overlook the many who are not as fortunate as we are. So along with volunteering time for this cause, I make it a point to donate our little one’s clothing & items whenever possible. As I know it will bring a smile to the families’ who receive them. Which brings me to the close of our Baby Buggy visit-  we are shown a video explaining Baby buggy’s Mission to help alleviate the stress of poverty & prevent crisis. Even with a room full of testosterone, you just had to look around at the others & see the impact felt from the video. All it requires is giving your time or goods to donate for a wonderful cause.

I look forward to partnering with Baby Buggy again in the near future as well as looking for other opportunities to connect & partner our active community of fathers with more community outreach endeavors.  Stay tuned!