Blog

At WithinReach, we believe every family deserves a strong start. That’s why every day, our team works to build bridges to stability, hope, and connection — ensuring parents have what they need to nurture their children and care for themselves.  

That mission came to life during our annual Crocktoberfest celebration, where staff gathered for an afternoon of shared food, laughter, and purpose. Together, we assembled 100 backpacks, each one carefully filled with essentials for new babies: diapers, wipes, nursing pads, Desitin (TM), a swaddle blanket, a onesie, and a pacifier. These small, everyday items can make a big difference in the early days of caring for a newborn. To offer encouragement and care, we tucked in a handwritten card from our team and a gift card to help with groceries for a growing family. 

Each backpack will be sent to parents navigating the complex challenges of substance use disorder during pregnancy and early parenthood. These families are supported by a specially trained team – our Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Support Team – who offer compassionate and nonjudgemental care. For this team, these aren’t just baby supplies, they are connection.  “When a new parent says they are in need of diapers or other baby items and we can offer a baby bag to them, it builds a sense of connection, and shows that were there to help.” shared Karla Garcia Ramirez, Bilingual Resource Navigator, Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Support Team.  

These backpacks are a tangible expression of a much larger, ongoing effort to connect families across Washington to the resources they need for stability and hope. Through our ongoing partnership with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), WithinReach receives $30,000 annually to provide these gift cards from stores families know and trust — places like Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and Safeway. They can be used to buy groceries, car seats, cleaning supplies, and other essentials — all of which help ease immediate pressures and strengthen families’ ability to care for their children. 

As we signed cards and checked each bag, the room was filled with connection—among colleagues and the families we support. The backpacks, the cards, the gift cards—they all represent partnership in action between agencies, community organizations, and families themselves, ensuring that every child in Washington has the chance to grow up supported and cared for.  

This is what community looks like: compassion made tangible, collaboration made visible, and hope made possible.