PHOENIX — For longer than two decades, a Valley mom has quietly made Christmas morning a little brighter for newborns and the mothers who bring them into the world.
“Christmas Babies” began when founder Maggie Leach was a brand-new mom who needed help herself. Money was tight, and something as simple as a tiny holiday outfit for her son felt out of reach.
Years later, once she was on a more solid footing, she turned that experience into a mission: collecting baby essentials, packaging them with care, and delivering gift bags to local hospitals every December. Nurses then pass the items along to new moms before they take their babies home.
In a follow-up conversation this week with ABC15 Mornings Anchor Kaley O'Kelley, Leach said her small army of volunteers has been working nonstop to fill this year’s bags. The cute holiday onesies and festive baby outfits are covered, thanks to generous donors. What’s missing, she says, is much more basic.
See our previous Christmas Babies story from 2023 here.
“We’re short on diapers and wipes, because this is a year where we really need to bolster that part of our donation,” Leach said.
For many new moms, especially those navigating financial strain, diapers are the one thing they can never get enough of. Leach says adding even a single pack to a gift bag can relieve stress in a moment already filled with emotion and uncertainty.
Donations of diapers and wipes are being collected through next Wednesday, December 17, at Franklin Police and Fire High School, located at 1645 W. McDowell Road in Phoenix. Anyone who wants to help can drop items off during school hours.
Leach says boxes of diapers certainly help, but even if you have a partial pack, every diaper helps.
To learn more about Christmas Babies, check out the group's Facebook page.
