Baby2Baby Came to the Aid of LA Families Within Hours of the Fires

When the Los Angeles County fires erupted on January 7, engulfing neighborhoods and displacing families, Baby2Baby didn’t hesitate. Within hours, the organization mobilized its vast network of resources, volunteers, and corporate partners to provide essential relief to families who had lost everything. “We’re used to responding to disasters,” says co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof. “So when this happened in our hometown—where our headquarters are, where a majority of our staff lives—we were ready to go. This is what we do and have done for the past 10 years.”

The nonprofit swiftly delivered critical items—diapers, formula, clothing, and other necessities—to families in need. Since Patricof and co-CEO Norah Weinstein joined the charity in 2011, the organization has grown tremendously. Their work has attracted an impressive roster of celebrity supporters, including Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, and Kim Kardashian, all of whom rallied to support the organization’s fire disaster relief efforts.

This year, Vanity Fair has chosen to support Baby2Baby alongside other local charities as part of its Oscar week festivities—a testament to the organization’s influence and impact. For Angeleno families reeling from the devastation of the fires, Baby2Baby’s immediate presence on the ground provided not just essential items, but a sense of stability amid chaos.

The charity’s expansive network of 470 partner organizations that include schools, resource centers, evacuation centers, and state agencies enables its agility during crises. “Our phone is ringing off the hook,” Weinstein says, describing the influx of support from corporate partners like Huggies and Skechers, who reached out immediately as the fires spread. “We have worked for a decade fostering these relationships with these corporate partners, so they understand the ins and outs of our needs on an ongoing basis. They know Baby2Baby is going to find the right home for their diapers or toothpaste or clothes and that we’re going to get them to these kids.”

With the fires tearing through the heart of the entertainment community, celebrities didn’t just offer their names—they offered their hands. The organization’s Culver City headquarters became a hub of activity as Vanessa Bryant, Nicole Richie, Miranda Kerr, Ciara, Russell Wilson, and Hillary Duff arrived to pack boxes and organize supplies. The support extended beyond volunteer hours. Emma Grede, founding partner of Skims, joined Kardashian to donate 10,000 clothing items. Garner’s Once Upon a Farm contributed thousands of baby and toddler snacks.

“These aren’t just names on a piece of paper,” Patricof says. “They actually show up and do the work.”

While Baby2Baby has operated a disaster relief program for nearly a decade—responding to hurricanes, floods, and wildfires across the country—the Palisades and Eaton fires struck with painful proximity. Nearly everyone at the organization was affected personally or knew someone who had lost their home. “We have one member of our team who’s a dad of three boys who lost his home in the Eaton fire,” Weinstein says. “He showed up at work the next day. He wanted to get back to work and be here helping the team.”

Both CEOs describe a poignant phenomenon they witnessed repeatedly during volunteer sessions: Alongside those who came to help were those who had just lost everything. Even more striking was what they observed among families receiving aid—a reluctance to take “too much,” concerned there might be others in greater need. “Our team is there to reassure them that everyone deserves help at this moment,” Weinstein explains. “We’re there for all of them, and it’s not going to take away from anyone else.”

The immediate crisis hasn’t diverted Baby2Baby from its broader mission to make family care more affordable nationwide. The organization has already secured significant policy victories, including the removal of sales tax from diapers in California—previously classified as “luxury items.”

“We’ve been able to remove the sales tax from diapers in California, and many states have followed suit since,” Patricof says. “That is something that we’re still working towards. There are 25 states left that still tax diapers.” This legislative success represents just one facet of Baby2Baby’s comprehensive approach, which also includes developing maternal health programs for new mothers.

After more than 10 years of building Baby2Baby, Patricof and Weinstein have developed an ethos that serves them well in crisis response. “I am not afraid to ask for anything, and I’m not afraid to hear the word no,” Patricof says. That determination has translated into immediate, effective assistance for a community in crisis—turning Baby2Baby into a lifeline for Los Angeles families recovering from this natural disaster.