Our Mission

Little Essentials offers at-risk families living in poverty urgently needed children’s supplies and parenting education to promote the health, well-being, and safety of their children 0-5 years of age.

We execute on our mission and vision through our Three E’s:

We EMPOWER the community by providing essential children’s supplies to lessen the stress that comes with living in poverty.

We EDUCATE families by providing tools and resources to strengthen parenting and individual skills.

We ELIMINATE poverty by employing community members as Little Essentials’ employees.

Our Story

**Sandie Trombert, Founder and Board Chair**

In June 2010, Little Essentials founder and current Board Chair, Sandie Trombert, saw a post on her neighborhood parenting group seeking baby clothes for an expectant mother living in a homeless shelter. Nearby, other parents were offering gently used clothing, strollers, car seats, and other baby essentials their families no longer needed. Seeing an opportunity, Sandie collected donations from neighbors and delivered them to the agency herself, with her six-month-old baby in tow. Over the following months, she built connections between generous families and community organizations supporting parents in need. In May 2011, that grassroots effort became Little Essentials.

**Courtney Crawford, CEO and President**

Since joining LE in 2021, CEO and Board President Courtney Crawford has led the organization through a responsive five-year strategic plan, launching the Three E’s—Empower, Educate, and Eliminate. When Courtney joined, Little Essentials had 28 community partners and had served 42,573 children. Under her leadership, LE has now reached more than 84,000 children, distributed 1.8 million diapers, and grown to 113 partner organizations spanning all five boroughs, 181 zip codes, and 48 City Council districts.

She established the Advisory Board and Community Board of Trustees, expanding leadership capacity, strengthening in-kind donations, and advancing LE’s financial sustainability. Courtney enlisted Principal Consultant Chloe Muller to help revamp the organization’s operations and improve the order process. Our ambitious 2026 goal was to serve 10,000 children—more than we have ever helped before. We have already surpassed that goal, reaching 12,000+ children.

Courtney’s new three-year strategic plan envisions a presence in every borough and the capacity to serve tens of thousands of children annually, while expanding access to essential supplies, free educational programming, and employment opportunities.