ANNOUNCEMENT:
We are now on YouTube! You can watch the video on our channel here:
https://youtu.be/-FCa87L6q68
SEASON 2, EPISODE 13
My guest today is LeeAnn Porter, the founder and Executive Director of Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank in Galesburg, Illinois.
LeeAnn started the organization in her home back in 2014, and now they operate out of a 5,000 square foot warehouse and serve residents of SEVEN COUNTIES in Central Illinois.
In fact, they just hit ONE MILLION DIAPERS DONATED in March of 2021. That’s a lotta… diapers, if you ask me.
Now, don’t be fooled by the name.
Even though Loving Bottoms is a diaper bank—a hub for diaper distribution—the organization also provides a variety of basic necessities such as period supplies, incontinence supplies, and wipes to those in need.
Why is LeeAnn so passionate about diapers, you ask? Well, it goes back to a time when her world had turned upside down and LeeAnn found herself in a place she’d never been…making choices she never thought she’d ever have to make.
You will be inspired by LeeAnn’s story. It took a lot of grit and determination to rebuild her life. It wasn’t long until she knew she had to help others who face similar challenges. And that’s when the idea of a nonprofit burst in and said, “Start a diaper bank!”
I can’t wait for you to meet LeeAnn and hear how she’s helping her community (and surrounding communities) by providing what they need when and where they need it.
If you listen to the whole episode, you’ll hear about the most creative and fun fundraising idea I’ve heard about in a super long time. When she explained it, I was like, “Sign me up!” and “Take my money!” Yes, it’s that good, and you could totally adapt it to a virtual fundraiser if needed.
Enjoy this interview with the lovely and tenacious LeeAnn Porter, founder and Executive Director of Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank.
🎧 Click here to listen to this episode:
About LeeAnn Porter
Lee Ann Porter is the founder of Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank, a nonprofit that provides diapers and period supplies to families in need. Her organization serves eight counties in West Central Illinois and has distributed more than a million diapers to families in need. In 2004, as a single mother, Lee Ann struggled to afford diapers for her son and found no local assistance programs. Many years later, she read about a diaper bank online and could not believe the problem she experienced back then was still an issue in her community. In the fall of 2015, she started Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank and now works with a network of partner organizations that distribute these diapers directly out to families. The diaper bank now addresses the need for period and incontinence supplies in the communities it serves.
Lee Ann lives in Galesburg, Illinois, with her life adventure partner, Jerry (aka the husband). She has been lucky enough to get a cast of co-adventures (kids) that always keep life animated and full of wit and sarcasm: her daughter Noelle and sons Dean, William, and Toby. Hands down, Lee Ann’s most significant achievement is that three of the four have successfully made it to adulthood. Time will tell if she can get the baby of the family across the finish line. Lee Ann loves to host book clubs where no one reads the book, but everyone shows up to eat and drink wine. This year she will declutter 2021 items. She has decluttered the same number of items as the year for the five years. Friends wonder what year the kids, husband, and pets will get decluttered. And finally, at 47, after the most extended gap year on record, she decided on a major and is pursuing a bachelor’s in business administration with plans to get her master’s in nonprofit management.
Lee Ann’s love language is words of affirmation, so we will close with her current favorite quote, “Love people. Use things. The opposite never works.” – The Minimalists.
🔗 Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank
- Website: https://lovingbottoms.org/
- Donate: https://lovingbottoms.org/donate/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplyleeann
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovingbottoms
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovingbottoms/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeannporter/
🙌 Connect with LeeAnn Porter:
Lee Ann Porter (she/her)
Founder & Executive Director
Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank
Phone: (309) 297-4754
Email: leeann@lovingbottoms.org
Address: 77 S. Henderson St.
Galesburg, Illinois 61401
🔗 Mentioned in This Episode:
