Taylor Keeney, executive director of Little Hands Virginia (Photo by Jay Paul)
When Taylor Keeney was cleaning out her son’s closet in preparation for her second child, she wanted a meaningful place to donate his hand-me-downs. Not finding an organization with this specific purpose, she decided to start her own. She soon began gathering supplies from friends and donating them out of her Goochland garage, and Little Hands Virginia was born.
Five years later, the nonprofit isn’t so little anymore. Keeney recently moved the organization’s operations into a 6,500-square-foot warehouse near Bryan Park to accommodate pallets of diapers and other critical supplies intended for babies up to 3 years old, such as gently used clothing, portable play yards, high chairs, blankets and toys.
“It’s because of big hearts in our community that Little Hands has grown to the size that it is,” says Keeney, who serves as full-time executive director.
One of the organization’s major initiatives is its Big Diaper Drive campaign, an effort to support the roughly 50% of families in Little Hands’ scope that can’t afford enough diapers. Last year, they collected 190,000 diapers through community-wide diaper drives. This year, they expect to exceed their goal of 200,000 diapers.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, American families spend close to $1,000 a year on diapers alone. Keeney points out that newborns typically need between 10 and 15 diapers per day, but babies in poverty may spend over 24 hours in one diaper, causing discomfort as well as serious rashes and infections.
“There’s no discount for diapers, and while you can use food stamps to purchase them, that means less money for groceries,” Keeney explains. “We’re helping to bridge the gap so families can pay their power bill and put food on the table.”
To increase its impact, Little Hands has partnered with 60 local organizations, including hospitals and human and social services, to help identify families most in need of support.
Keeney says Little Hands is doing more than providing supplies like clothing and diapers — she wants to help families change their trajectory. She’s hired social worker Daniela Stapor to connect Little Hands families to other vital resources in town.
“The response from clients within the community has been powerful and reminds us the importance of true connection,” Stapor says. “Our clients express so much gratitude and often refer their friends and family members. That shows me how much they trust our process.”
This holiday season, Little Hands is hosting an online giving drive called Bundles of Joy, where volunteers can purchase wish list items for families or donate financially. All items will be hand-sorted, bundled and delivered to qualified households. Companies and organizations can also host a diaper drive or volunteer at the Little Hands warehouse.
“In this season of giving, the Bundles of Joy shop is a great way to help,” Keeney says. “Even if the items we provide seem little and basic, we make a direct impact on the local community in a really big way.”
