Story
At SMILE, our mission is to support NE TN families caring for children in foster care, kinship caregiving situations, and at-risk families working directly with the state, by providing for children as they transition into homes. SMILE's service area is the 8 counties of Northeast Tennessee. We serve an average of 98 children a month. Each month SMILE Foster Closet lists what we need the MOST urgently on our donation calendar to help support children in crisis and the families that take them in. This month, we are in urgent need of baby equipment and packages of diaper wipes. Gently used or new baby equipment is welcome! The baby equipment items we need the most urgently are:
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Convertible (front or rear facing) car seats with 5 point harnesses for toddlers as this is a non-negotiable need that can be a large expense for a family to have to provide on short notice.
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Infant swings and bouncy seats - many of the babies that come into state care have past traumas and drug dependency that cause sensory stimulation needs aided by this equipment.
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Diaper wipes and diaper cream. Hygiene kits are a big part of the supplies we provide for these babies in crisis and we are very low on both of these needs.
By providing these items for the children you are also supporting the families that are taking them in. Without support this incredibly difficult job they are tasked with would result in certain burnout.
Special Instructions
Items can be dropped off at the SMILE Foster Closet (1401 Prospect Dr. Kingsport, TN 37664) Monday - Friday between 9am and 12pm, or contact us at ******@email.com if you need to drop-off at a different time. You can also send items directly to SMILE to the address above from any store, or from our Amazon wishlist: Go To Link We will also accept other types of equipment, just contact us regarding what you have. THANK YOU!