The Baby Depot opens ‘safe space’ storefront in Barton Village

Walking into The Baby Depot Boutique, it looks no different than any other children's store.

Nestled along a string of storefronts near Barton Street East and Sherman Avenue North, it looks like an average shop - tiny jumpers and onesies fill labelled racks, shelves display accessories and colourful toys while bassinets and bouncy chairs line the walls.

The only thing missing is price tags - and that's on purpose.

The boutique is the latest expansion of The Baby Depot, a Hamilton charity that helps clothe the city's smallest and neediest residents at no cost.

Created by Maggie John, who lives in Hamilton with her family, the organization got its start back in 2013, initially operating out of her dining room and basement. As it grew, they eventually moved into a space within a church in the city's east end.

Between those two spaces, John and her team put together hampers with a year's worth of new and used clothing and baby necessities for Hamilton families, including anything from formula and baby wash to snowsuits and socks.

John's vision" all along was to open a storefront, she said in an interview. And on Monday, that dream came to fruition as the organization welcomed their first family into the shop.

There is nothing like having mom or dad come through the store and actually look at the items and choose the items and imagine their child in the item," said John. We really wanted to bring that back."

A departure from their previous model, the boutique allows families to independently shop" for their year's worth of items, she said. Community partners, including social agencies and midwifery clinics, still connect them to families in need.

While each family has the entire store to themselves when they shop, in hopes of creating a safe space," the new format is also about restoring dignity," John added.

Just because you're on the margins, just because you've hit a rough patch ... doesn't mean that your power of choice should be taken away from you," she said. Especially when it comes to something so intimate and something so personal."

And that year's worth of clothing and necessities at no cost has a big impact on both family and baby. Since starting, they've helped more than 550 little ones in the city.

It's a weight that's off someone's shoulders," said John, noting families can then reallocate those funds elsewhere. And I think it's huge for a child's future."

In hopes of making the Barton Street space permanent, the organization is currently fundraising with a goal of $15,000. They're also accepting donations of items for the shop.

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com