SMEF and Stripey Stork supporting families in Surrey

Jaime Anup is a Community Development Worker at Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum (SMEF). SMEF supports the needs and aspirations of a growing ethnic minority population in Surrey and aim to create a unified and diverse community with an focus on improved wellbeing for all in Surrey. SMEF have been referring to Stripey Stork for the last few years and we have helped them by supplying clothing packs, toiletries and baby equipment. Jaime has written an article for their newsletter and was happy share it with us.

I had visited Stripey Stork and had an amazing experience. Upon reaching Stripey Stork, I was greeted by a team of incredibly helpful staff who took the time to learn more about the children in the group and thoughtfully prepared separate clothing bags and toys for all six kids who are in my Baby Steps group.

The staff carefully assembled the bags of clothing customising them to cater to the unique needs of the children including a baby with a skin condition, ensuring she experienced the utmost comfort and ease.

Three baby boxes were carefully prepared and given for the pregnant mums in my group and two of them were for twins. The staff made sure that the boxes prepared for the twins had similar items. The children and their mothers who received the clothes and toys and were overwhelmed with gratitude. In a display of appreciation, one mother, who was not well-versed in English, conveyed her gratitude saying, “Hi Jaime, Thank you for my daughter’s toy you brought for me”.

Another mother expressed her thanks, saying, “Thank you so much for the toys. My child liked it a lot. God bless you”. These simple words encapsulated the profound difference made in the lives of these families, thanks to the collaborative efforts SMEF does with the help of Stripey Stork.

Many thanks to Stripey Stork, a remarkable Surrey baby bank that tirelessly collects donations of clothes, toys, and essential items for babies and children in need.

It really means a lot when we get feedback like this. Our team of volunteers put a lot of love and care into every clothing pack that they make up and our team will always add in extra toiletries, toys and books where appropriate. We can only make a difference to these families with your help. If you have items you can donate, please take a look at our current wish list.