Our Story
Baby Bundles was born from heartbreak, started by Emily Harry, Heather Leavitt and Cat Long to help other mothers while honoring the children the three of them never got to love and raise.
Emily and Cat each delivered a child who was stillborn. Heather delivered two who were stillborn, and a third who died an hour after she was born. The world never had the honor of getting to know Low, Catherine, Joseph, Sarah and Mary. Baby Bundles has become their tender legacy – “A gift from our little angels,” Heather says.
Baby Bundles provides a bag full of necessities – baby outfits, blankets and the like – to mothers in need as they leave the hospital with their newborn. The contents of each bag are worth about $305, helping families begin parenthood on the right foot. Since starting in 2010, Baby Bundles has delivered bags to families in and around Charlotte through our community partners.
Baby Bundles offers opportunities to get involved: Volunteers for the Build a Bundle Program and the Warehouse are always needed.
Take a few moments to explore the Baby Bundles website. Learn how you can help give precious newborns the welcome they deserve, while celebrating the too-brief lives of our five little angels.
Board of Directors
Kevin Ballantine
Board Chair
Ally Financial
Nepherterra Best
CMRignite
Sara Brown
Vice Chair
Community Leader
Gianna Figaro-Sterling
Brighthouse Financial
Robert Grant
Ally Financial
Christen Greer
Board Secretary
Community Volunteer
Emily W. Harry
Co-Founder and
Community Leader
Greg Hatcher
Hatcher Law Group
Allison Latos
GloalLogic
Heather Leavitt
Co-Founder
Community Leader
Cat Long
Co-Founder
Hampton+Long
Diep Nguyen
Atrium Levine Children’s Perspective Pediatrics
Sarah Poplin
Elliott Davis
Chad Reeves
Crisis Assistance Ministry
Steven Sawyer
US Bank
Stephanie Schwab
Community Volunteer
George Webb
Board Treasurer
Premier, Inc
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EMILY WARDLAW HARRY
CO-FOUNDER
Emily grew up in Charlotte and graduated from West Charlotte High School and then received her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Emily worked for Wells Fargo for 13 years before staying home with her children. Emily has been involved on the Board of Directors of Christ Church Kindergarten and Novant Health Foundation as well as actively serving at Christ Episcopal Church. Emily and her husband David have twin girls.
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HEATHER NIVENS LEAVITT
CO-FOUNDER
Heather graduated from Myers Park High School and received her BA from UNC Chapel Hill before a 10-year career with MCI/WorldCom/Verizon where she provided support for Fortune 500 clients. Throughout the years, Heather has served as a volunteer at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School, St. Patrick’s Catholic School and Kindermourn. She married her high school sweetheart, Charley Leavitt – also a Charlotte native - and they have three children together.
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CAT AVERETT LONG
CO-FOUNDER
Cat graduated from Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C. and received her BA from Wake Forest University. She also has a masters in Elementary Education from Queens college. She has lived in Charlotte the last 20 years with a diverse career in marketing, non profit work and pharmaceutical sales. She currently sells residential real estate for Cottingham Chalk Hayes. Throughout the years Cat has been actively involved at Myers Park United Methodist Church, Girls on The Run, Let Me Run, The Duke Mansion Preservation Society and Charlotte Country Day School. She and her husband Darryl have four children together.
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PAULA FOUST
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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JANE FREEMAN
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
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AMY FONVILLE
PROGRAM AND VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a bundle of clothing and essential baby items to families living in financial need in the Charlotte area, helping to foster a more positive start for their newborn baby.
Our Objectives
To present new and gently used clothing and other baby essentials to underprivileged families in the Charlotte area. Baby Bundles partners with community agencies and local hospitals to identify families in financial need who will receive a bundle of clothing, blankets, books and toys.
Our bundle meets both an emergent need but will last well over the first year of life, supporting basic clothing needs, promoting an infant’s brain growth and development, and fostering caregiver and infant bonding, all of which helps give the newborn a positive start to life.
In Loving Memory
Baby Bundles is in honor of very special angels who are our children in heaven. Joseph, Mary, Sarah, Catherine and Low. While they were not with us for long, they left a legacy of love and hope. It is with this mission that Baby Bundles was founded in their honor.
David Lowrance Harry IV
Joseph Nivens Leavitt
Mary Nivens Leavitt
Sarah Nivens Leavitt
Catherine Morrisette Long
Our Little Angels
Parent Testimonials
“I can’t believe someone cared enough to give me all of this for my baby, and they don’t even know me.”
“I was so worried because I didn’t have anything for my baby, now I can’t wait for him to be born so I can put him in these cute clothes.”
“We lost everything when our apartment building caught on fire. I am so happy that I have all of these clothes for my baby.”