Kidvantage

KIDVANTAGE'S MISSION IS HELPING KIDS REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL TOMORROW BY MEETING BASIC NEEDS TODAY. WE PROVIDE TANGIBLE ASSISTANCE AT NO COST TO FAMILIES DEALING WITH POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS, OR DISRUPTION, REDUCING THE DISTRESS FELT BY CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS. KIDVANTAGE EXPANDED PARTNERSHIPS AND SERVICE DELIVERIES TO HELP FAMILIES MOST AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH MORE THAN 75 HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND HEALTH PROVIDERS, MORE THAN 10,000 CHILDREN AND EXPECTANT MOMS (UNDUPLICATED) WERE SUPPORTED IN 2022. KIDS HAVE THE STRESS OF LIVING IN POVERTY REDUCED, THEIR HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT PROMOTED, AND THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL. PARTNER AGENCIES CAN CONCENTRATE THEIR RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE ON SUPPORTING FAMILIES, INCREASING THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS. WHAT KIDVANTAGE DOES IS CONNECT THE COMMUNITY WHILE CARING FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS, REDUCING THE SOCIETAL INEQUITIES THAT PREVENT CHILDREN FROM FLOURISHING.

KIDVANTAGE PROVIDES BASIC HEALTH, SAFETY, NUTRITIONAL AND COMFORT ITEMS FOR BABIES AND CHILDREN (BIRTH THROUGH AGE 12), AND EXPECTANT MOTHERS, WHO ARE LIVING WITHIN OUR AREA OF OPERATIONS AND ARE CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN A PROGRAM WITHIN OUR NETWORK OF AGENCY PARTNERS. IN SERVICE TO OUR MISSION AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS, KIDVANTAGE SUPPORTED 81 ACTIVE AGENCY PARTNERS IN 2022, INCLUDING EARLY LEARNING CENTERS, FOOD BANKS, HOUSING, MATERNAL & INFANT HEALTH PROGRAMS, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND SCHOOLS. THE TANGIBLE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY KIDVANTAGE MEANS KIDS HAVE THEIR NUTRITION, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS MET, PROMOTING AND PROTECTING DEVELOPING MINDS AND BODIES. AT NO COST TO FAMILIES OR TO OUR AGENCY PARTNERS, WE SUPPLY FORMULA, DIAPERS, HYGIENE ITEMS, CLOTHING, CAR SEATS, BEDS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, AND MORE. AFTER THREE DECADES OF SERVICE, KIDVANTAGE IS THE COMMUNITY'S ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERT IN RECYCLING, BUYING, AND DISTRIBUTING ESSENTIAL GOODS FOR CHILDREN EXPERIENCING POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS, OR FAMILY DISRUPTION. KIDVANTAGE TAKES IN DONATIONS OF CHILDREN'S CLOTHING AND GOODS FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LOCATIONS IN ISSAQUAH AND SHORELINE (THE KENT LOCATION IS DISTRIBUTION ONLY) IN KING COUNTY AND BREMERTON IN KITSAP COUNTY AND PURCHASES CRITICAL AND CONSUMABLE GOODS, INCLUDING BABY FOOD, FORMULA, CAR SEATS, PACK N' PLAY BEDS, AND DIAPERS. ALL ITEMS ARE THEN SORTED AND BUNDLED INTO CUSTOMIZED ORDERS BY STAFF OR VOLUNTEERS AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGH PARTNER-PROVIDERS SUCH AS CASE MANAGERS, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, AND SCHOOL COUNSELORS TO FAMILIES IN THEIR PROGRAMS. THROUGH THIS NETWORK OF PROGRAMS, OVER 2,000 CHILDREN (UNDUPLICATED) EACH MONTH GET THE ESSENTIALS THEY NEED FOR HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT. DURING 2022, FAMILIES ACCESSED KIDVANTAGE ASSISTANCE THROUGH 263 PROGRAM SITES IN KING, SNOHOMISH, KITSAP, MASON, AND PIERCE COUNTIES. KIDVANTAGE SUPPORTED 41% MORE UNDUPLICATED RECIPIENTS IN 2022, A TOTAL OF 14,842. OF THE 6,603 STANDARD RECIPIENT HOUSEHOLDS ASSISTED, 79% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS WERE VERY LOW/LOW INCOME, 26% HOUSING INSECURE, 63% OF THE CHILDREN WERE AGE 4 AND UNDER, 27% IDENTIFIED AS HISPANIC/LATINX, 21% AS BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 20% WHITE, 8% MIDDLE EASTERN, 7% ASIAN, 7% AS MULTIRACIAL, 2% EACH AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKAN NATIVE OR NATIVE HAWAIIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER, AND 6% UNKNOWN. IN 2022, KIDVANTAGE DISTRIBUTED 176,587 PRODUCT ORDERS OF ESSENTIAL GOODS; THE ORDERS INCLUDED 1,916,633 DIAPERS, 2,885,520 DIAPER WIPES, 6,181 CANS OF INFANT FORMULA, 9,688 BIG BUNDLES OF CLOTHING TO KIDS, 2,008 CAR SEATS, 18,442 PAIRS OF SHOES, 50,655 PAIRS OF UNDERWEAR, AND 14,004 BABY FOOD MEALS. KIDVANTAGE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE AN OVERALL LOSS OF MORE THAN 30% IN VOLUNTEER HOURS AND PEOPLE IN 2022 AS WELL AS A LOWER VOLUME OF DONATED GOODS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAN IN PRE-PANDEMIC YEARS.