Sweet Talks with Kelly Patricof and Norah Weinstein of Baby2Baby

Babies and toddlers grow so fast that we are often left with a surplus of barely used items and gear that we no longer need. Sometimes we pack them away for the next child, sometimes we pass them onto friends who are expecting, and sometimes we choose to donate them to other families in need. And that's where Baby2Baby can help.

Because throwing things away is never an option for me—and because I look to live conscientiously and greenly with a smaller footprint—I was more than happy to donate my son's outgrown baby items to such a great local charity dedicated to serving over 50,000 children each year through a network of over 40 non-profit organizations, including homeless and domestic violence shelters, Head Start programs, and Children's hospitals. Many of the children Baby2Baby serves are at risk of entering the foster care system because they don’t have a safe place to sleep at home. Other families they work with are escaping domestic violence or overcoming homelessness and leave all of their day-to-day items behind to come to a shelter. Baby2Baby provides essential items that help families stay together and improve the health and well-being of their children.

As moms, how could we not support that mission and applaud the meaningful work of the women behind this great organization!?!

{q} In one sentence, what’s a day in your life look like?
{a} Kelly: Norah and I are always marveling at what our days are like. From one moment to the next, we are in different places and situations.  We can go from working in our new headquarters, to visiting a homeless shelter, to a lunch meeting, to ballet class with our kids—all in one day!  It’s all over the place!

{q} Red lipstick or lip balm?
{a} Kelly and Norah: Lip balm!

{q} What’s the best advice your mother gave you?
{a} Kelly: Always look presentable when you leave the house because you never know who you're going to run into! You'll never catch me in sweatpants. Norah: Get a law degree, even if you don't ultimately practice. 

{q} Who is your favorite fictional mother?
{a} Kelly and Norah: Mrs. Taylor from Friday Night Lights! 

{q} What are your favorite blogs and why?
{a} Both: Salt and Nectar! We really do love it!! Kelly: I also love Who What Wear. Just because you are a mom doesn't mean you still can't be fashionable! Norah: I like Trendera to keep up with current trends. I’m also constantly visiting Baby Center to find answers to common kid’s ailments.

{q} How did your lives as an attorney and a model lead you to running a non-profit organization? Any tips to other moms for staying the course and getting their charity off the ground?
{a} Kelly: I was always interested in working with underserved children. When I worked in New York as a model, I volunteered at the Northside Center For Child Development in Harlem in my spare time. Seeing the daily struggles that some kids face by not having basic items made me want to help children in need. There was one little boy who had a learning disability and would often come to the center without proper fitting shoes and without breakfast in his belly. Lacking these everyday basics made it very hard for him to focus on the already challenging learning process. The kids I met there sparked my interest in leading a non-profit organization to help children in need. 
Norah: I practiced law as a litigator at Skadden Arps and was able to take on pro-bono projects. Those were the cases that interested me most. Now, running a non-profit organization means that I can do this type of work full time rather than only in my spare time. Getting a charity off the ground, or any new business for that matter, is certainly not easy. We found a fiscal sponsor called Community Partners that allowed us to get our 501(c)(3) [non-profit] status almost immediately. I would definitely recommend using a fiscal sponsor to others starting out. They help you with the nuts and bolts of running a non-profit organization (taxes, legal, insurance), which allows you to focus on programming.  

{q} When or how did you know it was the right time to transition from your former careers to running a non-profit?
{a} Kelly: After living in New York, I moved to Los Angeles and had my own two children. It was then that I really saw the amount of money and hard work it takes to raise kids. And you need so much gear! It’s hard to imagine doing it without a steady income. Once my children were both in preschool, I knew I needed to get back to work and Baby2Baby was where I wanted to devote my time.
Norah: I think a lot of it happens naturally in spite of the best intentions to plan out career and parenting maps. I was practicing law before I had kids and then launched two Internet start-ups after they were born. It wasn't necessarily the "perfect" time to take over Baby2Baby. It is an enormous time commitment, but the opportunity arose and we knew it was the right time. 

{q} How has being a mom prepared you for running Baby2Baby?
{a} Kelly: When social workers or case managers come into Baby2Baby to pick up things for their clients we give them tips about the gear from our own experiences. I’ve demonstrated how to use Baby Bjorns, Gyminis, strollers, and more…I would never have known how to do any of that before kids!  
Norah: You can read about babies going without clean diapers but when you have a baby, it affects you in a totally different way.  Your sensitivity to the struggle of moms without basic essentials is heightened the day you give birth. That knowledge drives us in our entire cycle of giving—from teaching children, including our own, to give back, to working with social workers and families.

{q} What’s the one thing you’ve learned that you wish you knew before leading Baby2Baby?
{a} Kelly: That it is a 24-hour a day job. If I am not at our headquarters, I'm running around having meetings with donors, trying to inspire moms in the community to help, or e-mailing Norah at midnight with ideas and reminders.

{q} What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your jobs at Baby2Baby?
{a} Kelly: It’s very rewarding when you can see that our work is really making a difference. When a mother who receives things from Baby2Baby comes up to us with tears in her eyes and says she is so grateful for your help, you can't help but get teary back. The challenging part is knowing that there are so many more families that need help with diapers, clothing, and gear. 
Norah: The other challenge is balancing work and kids, which we know is the challenge for everyone. But it is very real. The rewards are endless. I can't think of a more rewarding job.  

{q} What are your top three parenting tricks for running a happy household?
{a} Kelly: SCHEDULE! I am a firm believer in schedule. Our kids are happier and we’re happier too!  I love knowing I have a 12:30-2:30 break during naptime on the weekends. I can work out or go have lunch and know that at 7pm they go to bed and I can have some grown-up time.

{q} What’s your favorite hidden gem in the city for entertaining your kids? For girls’ night out? A romantic date?
{a} Kelly: Griffith Park is full of fun stuff to do with kids. There are pony rides, train rides, and an awesome playground—my kids love it!  For girls night out, I like dinner at Pace. They have such a fun relaxed vibe, yummy organic food, and great wine!  My husband and I love Sushi Park for date night.
Norah: For a family outing we love going to the beach. It’s not a hidden gem, but it’s our favorite! My favorite date spot is Sushi Yu & Mi. My husband had a roll named after me for my birthday one year

{q} Guilty pleasures?
{a} Kelly: The TV show Revenge - I am obsessed! Norah: The extra 10 minute foot massage during a pedicure. It's the best $10 I spend all week. 

Rapid fire fill-in-the-blank:

Kelly
Never have I ever seen the movie Titanic. 
My kids taught me how to stop being so particular.
I regret not having traveled more before kids - and I travelled a lot!
My get-out-jail-free celebrity crush is Timmy Riggings.                                                          

Norah
Never have I ever driven on the freeway (that's not totally true but it's embarrassingly close!).               
My kids taught me how to truly appreciate every day.
My get-out-jail-free celebrity crush is Timmy Riggings!

*****

How can people get involved with Baby2Baby? The easiest way for LA-based moms to get involved is by dropping off gently used items that their kids have outgrown, or no longer need, at our headquarters. Other families, both local and outside of LA, have helped by collecting cash donations in honor of their child’s birthday or another special event. Baby2Baby also relies heavily on volunteers who help organize and distribute clothing and gear at their headquarters. For more information about how to get involved please visit www.baby2baby.org.