Many would identify with the endless craziness of Johannesburg. People battle to find time to fit things in and have even less time to fight for the causes which they know they would love to help, but just can’t seem to find the time for. Amy is one of those exceptional heroes who manages to do both while still raising a family.
A couple of years ago while pondering how to responsibly donate her baby’s clothing to a worthy cause, her research led her to the fact that very little was being done to help people effectively donate their old baby belongings in a responsible and highly impactful manner. Out of frustration she started The Grace Factory, and the success of this project is a testament to the need that exists and the hearts that South Africans have for their nation and the people in it.
The Grace Factory collects used baby clothes from ten drop off points across Johannesburg, sorts them according to gender, size and appropriate season, and then distributes them to children’s homes that desperately need specific clothing, thereby matching the need with the resources available. After supplying to just one children’s home a month, they now distribute to three homes a week in a little over 18 months of operation.
Surviving on almost no funding and one full-time volunteer, Amy says that it has been tough to balance everything but her strong support system at home has enabled her to keep going and the whole endeavor is made worth it by the lives The Grace Factory is impacting.
Reflecting on some of the challenges facing children’s homes, she says many of the homes have very little and often go without baby formula and nappies. Although The Grace Factory primarily distributes clothing, they are working on supplying these other needs as well
The Grace Factory is currently running their second Different.org project, where they are raising funds for 100 Christmas maternity packs for Christmas babies. R100 is all that it takes to fund a pack. If you would like more information on this project or would like to donate, please click here to an impact. To see the impact of The Grace Factory’s first project, take a look at the project page and the project video.
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