Tanya Taylor (left) and Julia Miller Black started a charity called Baby Love, which makes diapers at cost and distributes them to organizations in Toronto, where they are made available for free to low-income families.Supplied
The organizers: Tanya Taylor and Julia Miller Black
The pitch: Launching Baby Love
The cause: To provide free diapers to parents in need
Tanya Taylor grew up in Toronto, studied at McGill University in Montreal and then headed to New York to make a career in fashion.
She has started two lines of women’s clothing – Tanya Taylor and Delphine – and opened a store on Madison Avenue. But she has always wanted to do something with her friend in Toronto; Julia Miller Black, who has been involved in philanthropy with a focus on women and children.
Ms. Taylor, 39, had a keen interest in Baby2Baby, a U.S. non-profit that provides children in need with diapers and clothing. As a mother of two boys, she knew how expensive diapers can be, especially for single moms.
“A lot of moms were telling us that if they didn’t have access to diapers, it was impacting how they spent their money that month, and also how they lived their lives,” she said.
She and Ms. Miller Black decided to start something similar in Toronto. At first Ms. Miller Black approached retailers and asked if they would donate their excess inventory of diapers. She stored the diapers in her basement and distributed them to organizations across the city to hand out for free.
They quickly discovered that there had to be a better way. “Instead of just accepting donations of diapers, why not just make them ourselves?” Ms. Taylor recalled asking.
They found a manufacturer in Arizona and worked with friends to arrange shipping and storage on an in-kind basis. The diapers are made at cost and Ms. Taylor said that every donated dollar makes seven diapers.
They launched a Toronto-based charity called Baby Love in 2022 and formed partnerships with a dozen women’s groups. Baby Love distributes around 750,000 free diapers annually to roughly 7,000 families. “We’re only scratching the surface as to what the city really needs,” said Ms. Taylor.
The friends have raised around $350,000 and they’d like to grow the charity much more so they can distribute two million diapers annually by 2028. “That feels really doable and so rewarding,” said Ms. Taylor. “It feels very direct the impact it makes.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with the correct amount Baby Love has raised.