Lena Levendoski: FACES of Nashville

We did not know there was a need until we approached the hospitals with this idea. There is a staggering need for clothing for newborns. Sometimes families arrive to the hospitals with nothing and have no means to buy the things that their child requires. Approximately 8,000 babies in need are born in Nashville each year. Typically, each bag has about 30 to 40 pieces of size 0 to 12 clothing … onesies, pajamas, little sweaters, sleep sacks, sweet outfits etc., and at least one blanket. When we put a bag together, we take into consideration the seasons and the sizes. It is a good base for a year’s worth of clothing. I have met one person who received a bag from us and it was an extraordinary moment. The brand new father saw me and thanked me for the bag of clothing his wife had just received. He said that she cried at every piece of clothing that she pulled out of the bag and he said, “Thank you so much, it’s everything we need.” I looked at him and said it’s only a start and we laughed at how his precious new son Mitchell will probably go through 5 outfits a day. Schools are a wonderful resource because children can wrap their minds around helping younger children. Kids of all ages have volunteered putting bags together with me, and this experience brings them immense joy and sense of accomplishment. Any schools could have clothing drives or fundraisers; they could even start a knitting club for baby blankets! I would love to speak with a group of students about what we do and the endless opportunities to give to others. Pin Pin

Is Strick’s Gifts exclusively in Nashville? If so, can one open this charity in another city?

Strick’s Gift is currently only in Nashville however, Baby Bundles in Charlotte, North Carolina was established based upon Strick’s Gift. A woman who I came to know after she lost her first child loved what we were doing here and knew how much the work had helped Geoff and me begin to heal. She and two other friends with similar experiences started Baby Bundles; they are doing great! Taking something as simple as baby clothes to children is easy to achieve with a plan. I would love to see this in more communities and would welcome the chance to share with someone exactly how to do it. I am from Tuscaloosa and Geoff grew up here. After college, I lived in Birmingham, then Charlotte but never felt that I was at home until a friend suggested moving to Nashville. So almost 15 years ago, not knowing a soul, I got an apartment in Hillsboro Village and started a part time job at The Cotton Mill. I realized I was home immediately. Besides ocean views, I wish more drivers would use blinkers.   There is an energy here that is vibrant, positive and hopeful. Rolf And Daughters’ Farro Gemelli with Hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. Pin Omorovicza Moisturizer … and pretty much anything else at Private Edition. Yes, and they seem to be getting worse with age. It’s mostly that I am going to catch a virus or something, or that my children will and then pass it along to me. You should have seen me on the subway in Manhattan when my 3 year old daughter was licking a handrail; I was sure we were all doomed. (We weren’t). To slow down, read and pray more. I’d like to say I meditate and do Yoga, but right now with a 3 and a 5 year old, it’s mostly going to bed early. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. It was the last book I read that I really loved.   Saint-Tropez, France

• My neighbor’s Yogi tea recipe
• Wood burning fires
• A good pair of jeans

  Thank you, Lena! Read more about Strick’s Gift: www.stricksgift.org Special thanks to Ashley Hylbert for her photos today, and each week. To see more of Ashley’s work: ashleyhylbert.com