Conversations with Morgan Seibel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Seibel.

Morgan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in New York, about 30 minutes north of the City, and came out to Colorado for college at CU-Boulder. I fell in love with the sunshine and mountains and never left! I have officially been in Colorado longer than I was in New York and that feels like a milestone. I graduated with a BS in Business Administration, with areas of interest in finance, accounting, and international business, and moved to Denver.

I worked as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal for a law firm for several years, with the Gill Action Fund, and later opened a yoga studio on East Colfax, In 2008, the idea for WeeCycle was born. WeeCycle’s founders, Sunny Heydorn, and my sister, Jayme Ritchie, had both become mothers and realized just how blessed they were to have all that they needed to welcome and raise their children, and just how expensive it all was. They also saw how quickly babies grew out of things and how much life those essential baby items still had left in them. They knew there had to be families that could use the gear their babies had outgrown. Out of this simple concept, WeeCycle began. At first, I was an Advisory Board Member, then transitioned into a Program Director, and in 2019 took on my current role as ED.

When I started with WeeCycle I was one of the few people involved that didn’t have my own children, since then my husband and I have welcomed two (mostly) sweet babies, (who are now 4 and 2). I remember before having my first child, I felt very prepared on the baby gear side of things, thanks to WeeCycle, and now, after having both newborns and toddlers, I truly appreciate just how important the support WeeCycle provides families is.

There is not a single time that I change one of my children’s diapers that I don’t think about the families in our state that are struggling to provide for their families and that are budgeting diapers to get by.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Sometimes the challenges WeeCycle strives to eliminate seem insurmountable. Prior to the pandemic, it was estimated that 1 out of 3 families struggled with diaper need, or the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep a child clean, dry, and healthy. We know that unfortunately, that number has only grown. WeeCycle works to help families obtain all the essential baby gear and supplies they need to build a solid foundation for their children to thrive. Even when the obstacles seem too big to tackle, we try to remember that little by little, a little becomes a lot.

From a logistical standpoint, one challenge that WeeCycle has faced since the beginning, 13 years ago, is how to handle supply and demand. There are certain items, like diapers, wipes, baby food, formula, strollers, and car seats that we struggle to keep up with demand and others, like clothing and toys that we get an overabundance of. Managing inventory and getting creative with overflow is something we are always working on.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the Executive Director of WeeCycle, a Colorado nonprofit that supports families with infants and toddlers by providing new and gently used baby gear and supplies. WeeCycle collects donations of essential baby gear (like strollers, cribs, car seats) and other basic but very important baby supplies (like diapers, wipes, baby food, and formula) and then donates them to families in need throughout our state, both directly through our mobile distribution events, and through our network of over 100 other partner organizations.

As you can imagine, the COVID-19 health crisis has made the need for WeeCycle’s services more important than ever and we have experienced tremendous growth over the last few years. We went from providing 237,000 diapers in 2019 to 1.1 million in 2020, and are on track to provide over 2 million diapers this year! Each week WeeCycle is serving nearly 800 infants and toddlers and their families.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Knowing that “wee” are able to help children in need in our state, and those who have the baby gear to donate, by matching the donations with those in need is a success to us. By “weecycling” baby gear, we are also contributing to a healthier planet for the next generation of Coloradans to grow up in!

As a very family-oriented organization, we think it is important to instill values of volunteerism and philanthropy in our own children and the children of our supporters. We are one of the special places that offer opportunities for parents and children to come and volunteer together.

Contact Info:

• Email: morgan@weecycle.org
• Website: weecycle.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weecycle.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weecycle.colorado

Image Credits:
Headshot by Photographer Katie Puc