By Katie Vasquez
These bits of baby clothes are being packed neatly by Joan Hyland, affectionately known as ‘Nana.’
The Long Island resident has 7 children, 28 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren and she packs each baby bundle as if it were for her own family.
“I want it to look just perfect there, you know? and, I try to do that every single day with every single bag,” said Hyland, the founder of “Love, Nana.”
Her gifts are part of a community service project she started in 2020 called “Love, Nana.”
Her work with moms began when Joan’s grandson asked her to help a single mother in need.
“I got some diapers, I bought some things from the store, and when I put it together, my husband said to me, well, it looks like a present. I said, well, that’s what I wanted it to be, a present. So the very next day I started to collect clothes,” said Hyland.
Before she got her storefront in Rockville Centre, Joan turned to Sister Barbara Faber at Our Lady of Peace Church in Lynbrook to distribute baby clothes, books and accessories to young mothers and families in need.
“Some of them are in shelters, some of them are just living on the edge, just having trouble paying the rent, buying food, etc..so any help we can give them, they’re very grateful for,” said Sister Faber, RSM.
Volunteers take in donations, wash and dry clothes up to 24 months before they are organized into bins and made into bundles.
Joan and Sister Barbara are committed to the work because they know it’s their calling.
“I feel this is a way of really living the charism of Catherine McAuley by bringing mercy to as many people as we can,” said Sister Faber, RSM.
“What would God ask of you? And I seem to be able to answer that every day, because I know what he wants me to do, and I have no problem following his wishes,” said Hyland.
With the help of Sister Barbara, and the organization “Backyard Players and Friends, Joan has been able to make several thousand baby bundles.
Joan would like to expand to a bigger space so she can help even more families in need.
If you would like to help, you can contact “Love, Nana” on their website.