This winter, neighbors near and far showed what it means to stand with families.
Way to Grow’s Neighbors Who Care: Family Essentials Drive was held in January and February as many Minnesota families faced fear and uncertainty. Immigration enforcement activity in our region led some families to stay home for safety, shifting routines, complicating work, and making everyday tasks feel risky.
In response, donors from across the country and around the world answered a simple call: families need help right now.
Why This Drive Mattered
When families feel unsafe, leaving home and meeting everyday needs becomes more complicated. Diapers, food, hygiene products, and cleaning supplies do not stop being necessary. In moments like this, community matters even more.
Like many community-based organizations, Way to Grow activated our Neighbors Who Care program to help families as quickly as possible. Neighbors Who Care is a responsive and seasonal model that guides generosity directly to families in our program, quickly and with care.
The response was immediate and generous.
Individuals Showed Up
By the end of the drive, more than 600 donors had shown their support with diapers, shelf-stable food, and other essential items. Many gave quietly, some sent multiple packages, and others included heartfelt notes of care and solidarity.
Human connection matters. A box of diapers meets a practical need, but a heartfelt message can remind a parent or staff member that someone sees them and stands alongside them. That’s what it means to be neighbors — near and far.
Community Partners Stepped Forward
Alongside individual donors, community partners organized collections and shared the drive within their networks. CBX, Magnum Chorum, MacPhail Center for Music, Medica, and Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club all brought together their members and rallied their networks in support of our Neighbors Who Care drive. By the end of our collection, we were reminded that this kind of leadership multiplies impact. Our partners did more than contribute, they invited others into the work and widened the circle of care.
What Families Received
Families received practical essentials and small moments of joy:
- Diapers and baby wipes
- Hygiene and cleaning products
- Non-perishable and shelf-stable food
- Gift cards for flexible needs
- Coloring books, crayons, Play-Doh, and puzzles for children
Way to Grow’s team and volunteers received, sorted, and delivered each item. Family Educators made sure supplies reached households with urgency and care.
As one Family Educator shared, “Families feel seen when they receive a box like this. It tells them they’re not alone.”
Why This Matters for Children
When families meet basic needs, children learn and grow more easily. The Harvard Center on the Developing Child notes that stable and supportive home environments support healthy brain development in the early years.
When a parent does not have to choose between buying diapers and buying food, they have more capacity to read, play, and connect with their child. Stability creates space for learning.
That idea is at the heart of Neighbors Who Care.
Thank You
Way to Grow is grateful to every individual and organization who showed up during a difficult season. Whether you sent one package or organized a full collection, you strengthened families when they needed it most.
We are thankful that in a time of uncertainty, our community chose connection.
Neighbors show up. We care. We stand together.
