For millions of families facing crisis, healing sometimes begins with the simplest thing: a brand-new item that says you matter. That’s the heart of Delivering Good, the nonprofit celebrating four decades of giving away billions in new clothing, toys and essentials to kids and families who need them most.
Its journey began with a single question. When Kids In Distressed Situations was founded in 1985, co-founders Karen Bromley, Barbara Toback and Ezra Dabah asked nonprofits whether they wanted money or new product. The answer couldn’t have been clearer.
Karen understood why. She spent early years in foster care, where a new coat or toy was rarely an option. “I knew that giving a child a brand-new coat or a toy could make them feel special,” she recalled. “It could say, you matter.”
As years passed, the mission only expanded. Two decades after K.I.D.S. began, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, and industry leader Allan Ellinger watched families lose everything in an instant. Telethons raised money, but people needed something they could hold right away.
“I was part of a community that had product, clothing, shoes, home goods,” Allan said. “I picked up the phone, called colleagues in the fashion industry, and within days, everyone said, ‘I’m in.’”
What followed was Fashion Delivers, launched in 2005 to get new goods directly to adults affected by disaster. In its first year alone, $6 million worth of items shipped to the Gulf Coast.
Eventually, the two groups merged, powered by the same belief that new items can restore dignity when life feels unstable. As Karen put it, “Delivering Good has always been fueled by heart and passion, people in the industry coming together to make sure families in crisis get what they need most, and that they receive it with dignity.”
Today, Delivering Good is a national leader in product philanthropy, specializing in disaster relief with efforts like the Basic Comforts Pack to help families take their first step back toward normalcy. Their community partners always know exactly where each item goes, ensuring donations land directly in the hands of people who need them.
“We started to solve a problem,” Allan said. “We never imagined we’d still be here 40 years later, more vibrant and needed than ever.”
And the organization is far from slowing down. Current President and CEO Matthew Fasciano says the next chapter builds on everything learned since 1985. “Our next chapter is about scale and innovation. We’re building on 40 years of experience to reach more people, respond faster to crises, and ensure that every excess product finds its way to someone who needs it,” he said. “Our goal is to help improve 50 million lives in the coming years.”
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