NONPROFITS
BEHIND THE WHEELS
Stephanie Marine, Sue Dean, Cori Lamm, City of Vero Beach Mayor Laura Moss, Kelly Sartain, Sarah Jones, Allison Thurn and Debbie Morgan don pink
hard hats for the groundbreaking at its new Family Education Center.
The Buggy Bunch helps Indian River families
cope with the daily labors of motherhood
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ost of us may know one mother who seems to
have it all together every morning. Her baby’s
monogramed diaper bag sits waiting by the
door as baby, dressed in coordinated Mini
Rodini, smiles while mom spoons organic baby
food into her precious child’s mouth before
daycare.
The reality is &heerios flung on the floor, a Àdgeting baby
and the dog licking milk oͿ the high chair. And of course,
no one is dressed in anything remotely coordinated because
food always lands on the one outÀt that matches.
These stressed-out moms have begun to look to The Buggy
Bunch for salvation. This little ´nonproÀt that couldµ went
from four moms in 2008 to serving 10,000 families in Indian
River County. The Buggy Bunch found a huge hole of need
and Àlled it to perfection.
HOW IT GOT STARTED
The Buggy Bunch was the brainchild of four commiserating
moms, Kelly Sartain, Erin Refsland, Gabby Brink,
and Ashley Baum, who turned to each other for playdates,
pediatrician referrals and friendship. They were surprised to
learn there was no place to help mothers cope with family life
beyond prenatal and delivery care.
´We had zero desire to start a nonproÀt, we Must wanted to
have a community of families, of moms where we could go
and be honest about the struggles,µ (ecutive 'irector .elly
Sartain said. “Very quickly we realized that there were others
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BY CHRISTINA TASCON
M