(WSB photo from 2012 WestSide Baby Tea)
There’s still room at the table for you, at one of the biggest parties of the year – the WestSide Baby Benefit Tea, coming up February 10th, just one week from this Sunday. With auction items, surprises, and tea and treats in/on fine china, the party’s become so big that even though WS Baby is headquartered here in the West Seattle/White Center area, the benefit will be in its second year in a spacious room at the Hilton Seattle Conference Center a short way south. Tickets are $30, tables for 10 start at $250 – and you’ll be helping thousands, as WS Baby’s update explains:

WestSide Baby served 17% more local children in 2012 with essential items such as diapers, car seats, cribs and clothing valued at $1.6 million. That means 22,000 children received what they needed with most of those items being gently used things coming from local families passed through our doors to others. “We saw a great increase in need and a fantastic increase in support and volunteers in 2012 that allowed us to provide more to the most vulnerable among us, children in need,” shares Nancy Woodland, Executive Director of WestSide Baby. “The majority of what we give comes from local families and goes to support other local families. This is why our theme is ‘Families Helping Families, it’s just so simple. When one family is having a hard time, another can help. Our Tea gathers together many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who inspire others in their own family to help. ”

WestSide Baby translates this support to increased impact.

WestSide Baby collects and distributes essential items such as diapers, car seats, clothing and cribs for local babies and children in need through partnerships with now more than 90 local social service agencies.

This week WestSide Baby accepted nine new agency partners working directly with families in need and plans to stretch into new neighborhoods in the coming months. These provider partners work directly with families, place orders through WestSide Baby and then deliver the needed items. The following agencies joined WestSide Baby’s team: Compass Housing Alliance, Federal Way ECEAP, Auburn Head Start, YWCA Auburn, The Defender Association, The International Rescue Committee, Providence Hospice – Stepping Stones Program, University of Washington Parent Child Assistance Program and Refugee Women’s Alliance. A successful Tea event could make the difference to many children as WestSide Baby reaches further.

This increase in service is possible because of great financial support from hundreds of people as well as enthusiasm for new programs such as WestSide Baby’s ReRide – Car Seat Reuse and Recycle Program. Because of this program, 56% more car seats were provided to children and 363 seats that could not be reused were recycled and kept out of circulation. This means 670 children are riding safely in cars.

“Our benefit Tea is a unique gathering of engaged members of our community interested in learning more about being ‘the change they want to see’ for local children,” shares Woodland. “We’d love to have you join us for our 12th Annual WestSide Baby Benefit Tea on Sunday February 10 from 2-4:30pm at the Hilton Seattle Conference Center. More than 500 seats have already been reserved for this adult-centered festive afternoon event.”

The Tea tradition includes tables set with individual sets of china shared by community members, mimosas, BabyCakes by Avalon Glassworks with one box holding a gorgeous champagne colored citrine pendant surrounded by a halo of diamonds donated by Wyatt’s Jewelers.

Keynote speaker, Cathy Grace, Children’s Defense Fund Director of Early Childhood Education, will educate and inspire guests with her message about the impact childhood poverty has on individual families as well as society as a whole. She will prompt each guest to act.

Tickets are $30. Tables for 10 range from $250-$500. There will be a program, an opportunity to give and time to socialize too. The suggested minimum donation is $100.

For more information about the Tea or to purchase tickets or a table, visit www.westsidebaby.org or call Sarah Couch, WestSide Baby Development Director at 206-686-3124.