If Kate Middleton Get Her Hands Dirty Helping Babies in Need, So Can You

We have all heard the stories: With the economy at a standstill, there are so many families out there struggling to care for their kids, even their most vulnerable babies. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, heard those stories too, and rather than simply throw some money at the problem and pose for a photo opp, it appears she put her royal influence to work to help the nonprofit Baby Basics. Just seeing her in action is enough spur more of us to do it too.

According to Kensington Palace, the duchess had visited one of the so-called “baby banks” run by Baby Basics in West Norfolk, U.K., earlier this year and discovered that the volunteer-run organization was running low on baby supplies for families in need. In response, “she spearheaded a drive for donations of items for babies from brands and high street retailers,” reads the caption on an Instagram post, showing her hard at work at the Baby Basics headquarters in Sheffield.

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Kate rallied 19 different companies to donate goods to the organization, and on Tuesday, she was there to lend a physical hand with those donations, unloading toiletries, bedding, and clothing. Imagine using diapers unpacked for you by the future queen of England!

“Over recent months, I have heard from families who have been supported by baby banks through the most difficult of times, and I have been deeply moved by their stories,” Kate said in a statement on the Baby Basics site. “Having somewhere to turn to for support is important for all families, and baby banks work every day, up and down the country, to provide immediate, tangible and practical help for parents and carers when they are most in need.”

After all that physical labor, the duchess also sat down with some families who shared their stories of how the baby banks helped them get by.

There’s no Baby Basics here in the States helping families in need — where an estimated one in five children is going hungry during the pandemic. There are plenty of other places eager to accept your donations of money, new or gently used items, or even volunteer time. You don’t even need to have a royal title to help out.

Los Angeles-based Baby2Baby is perhaps the most famous of these nonprofits, backed as it is by celebrities and their money. They also have developed a network of other charities across the country, if you’d like to help out locally. There’s also the national charity Newborns in Need (which is Christian) and the international organization Save the Children. And for more ideas of where your help can make a difference, you can always go to CharityNavigator.org to search for a cause that matters to you.

If you’re in the market for nappies for your own little ones, we recommend these amazing printed diapers.

Launch Gallery: Our Favorite Photos of Kate Middleton Doing Regular Mom Things

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