Kansas City Doing Good : HappyBottoms

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Megan

Being a mom can be so very hard. As a mom of two, I can tell you that one of the hardest times as a parent is when your kids are in diapers. Sure, I haven’t been through those teenage years yet (knock on wood!), but I know that for me, the newborn and toddler years were/are pretty darn difficult. I am so fortunate to have had a ton of support and cheerleaders as I dove headfirst in to motherhood, but there are so many moms out there that aren’t so lucky. One in six children in the Kansas City metro area lives in poverty, and one of the most fundamental needs that is overlooked for the kids and moms is access to diapers. Imagine choosing between diapers and paying your electric bill. Or putting gas in your car. Clean, dry diapers are important to the health and well-being of growing babies. It’s not uncommon for babies to be left in a diaper for an entire day (or longer) or for parents to re-use a disposable diaper, leading to possible urinary tract or skin infections. There is also an increased risk of child abuse when parents and caregivers lack a supply of clean diapers. Without regular changing, dirty diapers can be a source for the outbreak of viral meningitis, dysentery and Hepatitis A throughout the community.

This is where the fantastic non-profit HappyBottoms comes in! HappyBottoms is the only diaper drive in Kansas City, and provides free diapers to an estimated 1000 children every month. I was unaware that diapers cannot be purchased with food stamps or through the WIC program, two main monetary resources for those below poverty level in our community. So for some families, buying fresh diapers just isn’t an option. Isn’t that insane?! I can’t imagine not being able to change my baby’s diaper as he wailed and fussed because I didn’t have a new one to put on him. And the stress that a crying baby puts on a new mom, especially one who is already dealing with the daily stress of living under the poverty line, must be horrific.

HappyBottoms works with 18 partner agencies throughout our community to distribute diapers to those who need it most, but the demand far outweighs what they can currently provide. I was able to visit HappyBottoms’ headquarters and warehouse and was so inspired by everyone I met. Diapers are collected via donation, either through diaper drives, corporate donations or private giving. HappyBottoms takes any new diaper, even if the package has already been opened, and repackages them to deliver to their partner agencies. So if you’ve still got an extra pack of diapers in the house after your youngest was potty trained, you can drop if off at any of their donation locations, regardless of if you already opened the package. Pretty cool, right?!

Another way you can contribute to HappyBottoms is monetarily. Currently, HappyBottoms is partnering with Huggies, who is providing a number of diapers to the organization. They also hope to have several more large donations this year, in order to serve our community. But to do this, they need certain things. More warehouse space! A delivery truck! Staff! A new computer system to track the huge numbers of diapers that will hopefully be coming through the door! So to do that, they are doing some big fundraisers this year, including the upcoming “Make a Difference for Mother’s Day” campaign.

Are you looking for a special way to honor your mom this Mother’s Day? Why not donate to HappyBottoms in her honor?! Head over to the HappyBottoms website to donate, and HappyBottoms will recognize your mom on their Honor Roll on their site and Facebook page. They will also send you a certificate that you can present to your mom. Your donation will directly impact moms and babies in our area that need our help! Or, if you’d like to donate diapers directly, HappyBottoms is creating a REALLY BIG Diaper Drive in honor of Mother’s Day. They have joined with Price Chopper to hold a diaper drive from Friday, May 10th from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday May 11th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at four Price Chopper locations in the metro area (click here for participating locations). And don’t forget, they take open diaper packages too!

I love Kansas City. This community is a giving one, and people here really do what they can to help others in need. I hope you join me in supporting HappyBottoms this Mother’s Day! Let’s help provide life, liberty, and diapers for all!

For more information on HappyBottoms, please visit www.happybottoms.org or click here. Special thanks to HappyBottoms Board President, Liz Sutherlin, for showing me around HappyBottoms HQ!

Hitting Refresh

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Megan

Oh, hey there, Internet! It’s been a while, huh?

Last week, as things went from bad to worse in the national news, I found myself, for the first time in ages, unable to post here. I’m going through some personal things as well, and along with my uncle’s funeral and the anniversary of my dear friend Frank’s death, I just couldn’t find the stamina to write. And for the first time in YEARS, I allowed myself that time. Time to work on healing and resting, instead of plowing right through everything like an angry bulldozer. There is something to be said for my new, somewhat forced outlook on life, which allows for such things instead of my trademark “Everything is fine, just leave me alone because I can do this!” Truth is, I probably could’ve gotten a post or two up last week, I just didn’t feel like it. I wanted to snuggle with my kids and go on date night with my husband and work in my yard and visit friends. I wanted to have an evening out shopping and an evening in with a fantastically horrible/wonderful Hallmark movie. I wanted to be outside, watching my daughter conquer whatever has been holding her back in soccer and scream like a madwoman when she played the best game of her life and won MVP for her team. I needed to concentrate on how fast she’s growing, her opinions becoming more pronounced and her teeth falling out of her mouth, completely changing her appearance. Basically, I needed to be elsewhere last week. And so, I was.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to. How about you, Internet? Did you take some time to breath this weekend? What’s keeping you sane these days? If you need a Hallmark movie of the week to watch, I have one to recommend!

(Photos from top: My nametag from a fun blogger meetup/shopping excursion at Madewell in KC, Lu playing the best soccer game of her life (2), Tate and his friend playing peewee soccer while their older sisters practice, Lu decided that tooth needed to come out so she pulled it, twirling on a rare spring-like day, goofing in the mirror after bathtime, some pretty tulips from Trader Joe’s warming up my living room, a fun night out with Miss Lane at the Madewell event | All photos excepting the two soccer game images were taken with the iPhone. The soccer images were taken with the Canon 60D.)

Love Will Always Win

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Megan

Today I sat at my computer watching the cursor blink. Flash. Flash. Flash. Nothing.

How can this keep happening? What is wrong with the world? Why? WHY?!

I used to get really angry at the injustice on our planet. I used to rage and scream and beat my chest until my heart rate was beyond safe. I would rant and yell and blame everyone.

But somewhere along the line, my reaction changed. I’m still mad. Deep down, I’m still so angry I could scream. But then I look around at all the good in the world, and a bit of love breaks through. People who ran towards the injured, disregarding their own safety. This Google spreadsheet where thousands of people in the Boston area offered shelter and help to those who couldn’t get somewhere safe. Runners who, after a grueling test of their bodies while running the marathon, went straight to blood donation centers.

It’s so true, when the worst of humanity bears it’s head, the best of humanity retaliates in mass force. Hate has always existed, but humans have persevered. Like Patton Oswalt said, so very eloquently, the good outnumber the bad in this world. If they didn’t, we’d be extinct. I’m holding on to that today, and remembering all the simple kindnesses that were afforded to me this week, especially on Monday as we buried my beloved uncle who had passed away and then came home to the news out of Boston.

I heard this song today, rolled down my windows and sang as loud as my horrid voice could bear. You should do the same. It just might help you to feel the love.

I’ve been in love with love and the idea of something binding us together.
You know that Love is strong enough.
And I’ve seen time tell tales about that systematic drug. Well yea, that heart that beats as one.
It’s collectively, unconsciously composed.

Do you feel the love?
I feel the love.
Come on, come on.
Lets start it up.
Let it pour out of your soul.

The Wisdom of Two Year Olds

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Megan

Getting shorts on this boy was so dramatic! He thought they were "broken" pants. #2yearold

Hey, hey, it’s FRIDAY! I hope you all are gearing up for a fun weekend, and if you celebrate Easter, I hope you get lots of pink jellybeans in your basket (they’re the best kind, in my opinion). We are getting ready to head back to the farm to spend the weekend with family, but I wanted to share a quick story before I go. As you all know, this week the Supreme Court is hearing a case that might help decide the future of marriage equality in this country. If you know me at all (or have been reading this blog for any sort of time), you know I’m a huge supporter of marriage equality and equality in general. I was raised to believe that people can love whoever the heck they want, and I’m raising my kids with the same lessons. In fact, Lucy has several friends with same sex parents and doesn’t understand what all the hoopla is about some people not wanting same sex couples to be married. Tate is still a little young to understand any of this…I mean, his greatest concern in life is whether or not his Thomas the Train is within two inches of him at all times….so we haven’t yet spoken to him about equality or government or anything that doesn’t directly relate to said train or the amount of macaroni he must eat before he has a cookie.

Today Tate and I were out to lunch when he started up with his adorable two-year-old antics. He started pointing at the other people in the restaurant and LOUDLY telling me all about them.

“Mama! That girl has macaroni too!”

“Mama, they lookin’ at me!”

“Mama eat noodles?”

“That boy wear a red hat!”

Et cetera and so on…you get the gist. A few tables over there were two 30-something men with their little baby, having a nice little lunch. Tate looked at them and screamed “TWO DADDIES! TWO!!!” while pointing at their table. I looked at him and said, “Yup, they have two daddies.” Tate immediately started laughing and cheering, “YAY!!! TWO DADDIES! YAAAAYYYYY!!!” He was so happy and excited that that little baby had two daddies, it made every inch of my body beam with pride. The two men looked over, laughed, smiled and waved at Tate, who clearly thought they were rock stars. I mean, how lucky is that family? They get TWO DADDIES!

I hope someday everyone can be as open and accepting as my crazy Tater. We could all learn quite a bit from wise, little two-year-olds….

Love and Lights

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Megan

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine... #day7 #hanukkah #hope

Tonight is the last night of our very first Hanukkah. If you are wondering when we converted to Judaism, you aren’t alone. We’ve had a few questions about our celebration of the holiday this year, but the best way I can describe it is we’re not a religious crew. Trent and I have very different ideas about religion and God in general, but to put it plainly, I have a very hard time believing in any religion these days. I grew up in a Catholic church and school, studied Islam and Judaism in college, and spent my first few years post-grad as a member of a United Methodist church here in Kansas City. Heck, I even had Lucy baptized. But here is the thing, while I believe in certain aspects of religions (souls, for example) I have a really, really hard time believing wholeheartedly in any particular religion. Basically, where I am right now, is knowing I believe that I don’t know everything about the universe, and it would be quite silly of me to claim that I do. I believe that when my children came into this world, they were gifted with beautiful souls that I saw on the day they were born and every day since. I look at the beauty and love around me every day, and I can’t imagine there is no “God” or spiritual wonderment. I believe in science and technology, doctors and nurses, teachers and leaders. I believe that things do happen by chance, but I also believe you have choices that will change aspects of your life. I believe a lot of things.

So when Lucy asked why we didn’t celebrate Hanukkah, I couldn’t give her a good reason. I know quite a bit about the holiday, so we talked about it, and she asked if we could celebrate it along with Christmas. I said yes. And here we are, on day eight, getting ready to light all the candles on our Target bought Menorah.

Last night, as I watched my two beautiful children gazing at the lit candles, my heart was so very heavy. Like any mother or father, both Trent and I took the news out of Connecticut pretty hard. Lucy is in first grade, the same age as many of the children murdered yesterday, and it took everything in me to not go pick her up early from school and hold her close, never letting her out of my sight again. I can’t explain to her why these things happen…I can’t tell her it’s God’s plan or that this children are in heaven. I just can’t do that. But watching those candles flicker in the dark, I did the closest thing I can do to praying. I gathered up every good thought and beautiful moment I could think of, and sent it out into the ether, hoping if those beautiful souls are out there somewhere, they could feel the goodness. Hoping that those parents and families might feel a touch of it as well, although I’m sure it is much too soon for them to see any good left in the world. I hope that if they are people of faith, their faith will help them through this. I hope other people of faith will find ways to lift them up through their religious beliefs, and leave the ideological squabbling for another day.

Most of all, I hope for love. I hope all the love in the world is put out into the universe during this holiday season. The lights on my Menorah tonight will be a beacon of love and hope in my home. And we’re sending all our light and love your way.

Crazybananas

Category Archives: World

Kansas City Doing Good : HappyBottoms

Hitting Refresh

Love Will Always Win

The Wisdom of Two Year Olds

Love and Lights