WHEREAS, Donna Pierce, overwhelmed by her role as a new mom, began to recognize and understand the hardships and struggles of motherhood; although she did not personally lack the means to provide for her own baby, motherhood still proved to be a demanding endeavor; and as stressed as she was, Donna could not begin to imagine "the level of stress felt by new moms with low incomes, no incomes, no health care, or no home"; and

WHEREAS, In 2001, Donna founded WestSide Baby, and since then, WestSide Baby has admirably sought to help the most vulnerable mothers in King County; and

WHEREAS, WestSide Baby, working together with over 120 social service agencies, provides necessities that are essential to the caring of an infant free of charge; and

WHEREAS, Many of the mothers WestSide Baby serves are forced to make heart-wrenching decisions about which of their necessities they can afford to do without; Donna recognized that being a mother is hard enough on its own, and new mothers having to treat what other families take for granted as luxuries is disheartening and sometimes humiliating; Donna and WestSide Baby have helped mothers provide for the physical needs of their children, granting them some peace of mind and providing a better quality of life to the children they serve; and

WHEREAS, Acting upon its deeply held and outwardly expressed core values of fairness and empowerment, WestSide Baby has made a lasting impact upon the lives of thousands of mothers and their children, helping ensure that they have a more fair and equal start to life; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the years, WestSide Baby has distributed over 16 million dollars worth of diapers, clothes, and safety equipment and helped around 200,000 babies in King County; and

WHEREAS, WestSide Baby's efforts are an invaluable source of empowerment and dignity for thousands of mothers who desperately need the assistance; and

WHEREAS, WestSide Baby continues to provide women with the necessary tools of motherhood, continues to generate awareness about the most vulnerable children in the community, and, most importantly, will continue striving towards its praiseworthy goal: That every baby in the community has his or her physical needs met;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor Ms. Donna Pierce and recognize WestSide Baby's numerous and continuing contributions to Washington's mothers and their children.