About Basically Babies

Basically Babies is a registered charity that works to provide for the basic outfitting needs of newborn babies born to families in extreme need in the greater Edmonton area.  We offer the gift of a complete first year’s wardrobe for these infants in the form of a beautiful color-coordinated basket filled with clothing, outerwear, blankets, toys, storybooks, sleepers, undershirts, footwear and other baby essentials.  We call these packaged gifts “layettes”.  The layettes we provide contain 90 to 110 items which, if purchased new, would cost well in excess of $1,200.  While some of our items are new, we use a significant amount of gently-used clothing and baby items donated to us in excellent and “like-new” condition for this purpose.  Our full year wardrobes are delivered to the recipient families through a variety of charitable organizations, non-profit groups, social service agencies and health care agencies who are working with these families on a long-term basis to develop and build life skills.

Basically Babies is the only organization in the Edmonton area whose sole purpose is to provide for the basic outfitting requirements of infants born to disadvantaged families in our community.  In the 2012 fiscal year, we provided approximately 400 layettes to help families clothe their newborns.  We strongly believe it is important to communicate, in a practical way, their value and worth, and to give them a sense of the hope and promise that our community has to offer.

Our Direction Statement is as follows:

"Our role is to advance and protect the welfare of infants born into families in extreme need through the provision of a beautiful gift of a gender-specific, cost-effective, baby wardrobe containing a one year supply of baby clothing and accessories.  Our desire is to communicate value, dignity and hope to the recipient families while providing opportunities for committed volunteers to serve our fellow community members."

In addition,  Basically Babies has developed the following key values that provide the foundation for and subsequently guide our decision-making, our business planning, our strategies, and our treatment of people whether volunteers, staff, recipient organizations or others.  Our key values are: 

• Integrity
• Honesty
• Accountability
• Excellence
• Human Dignity