The old proverb is never more real than when you consider the lives of children who are particularly vulnerable. Whether due to circumstance or disability, illness or design, some kids don’t have the picture postcard family life that they deserve. It’s a concept Ollie World’s founder, Hindi Zeidman, understands all too well. Hindi became a single foster mom to Oliver, an infant who was on the verge of being labeled failure-to-thrive. She developed the Ollie Swaddle to help him be properly contained, sleep better and flourish, which he did, and named the product and company after him. After that, it became Hindi’s goal to see all little ones thrive, so she created the Ollie Full Circle, which gives back to the same organizations that supported her foster son. Ollie Swaddles are donated to foster infants and their families, with a majority of the foster infants having a history of drug and/or trauma exposure, as Hindi’s foster son did. Currently, they are working on an additional initiative to keep vulnerable kids safer during the Covid-19 epidemic. As COVID-19 has radically changed the way all our lives are lived, it has had a tremendous impact on foster children. People were no longer willing to open their homes and so many foster children were left without a safe place to be. Through the Ollie Full Circle, Hindi and the Ollie team worked with a manufacturer in Utah to create masks for kids using the same custom made patented breathable, moisture-wicking fabric used to make the Ollie Swaddles. In Hindi’s own words: “The Ollie World has been and always will be rooted in the Foster Care Community, as it is the foundation of who we are and how we came to be. Because of Covid-19, we are seeing foster children unable to be placed because people were unwilling to open their homes. Foster children do not have access to many resources, let alone a mask, so we wanted to make special child-size protective masks for them. It is our goal to do something to help these amazing kids to stay safe and protected, while, hopefully, making it an easier decision for people to open their homes.” --Hindi Zeidman, founder of the Ollie World The children’s masks are washable, reusable, and come in two styles that are more child friendly than the current masks available in the mass market. One style ties behind the head, to accommodate for any size shape of head or placement of ears and the other is similar to an infinity scarf that the child can pull up on their face, which is particularly helpful for children who won't tolerate something around their ears or tied behind their head. Ollie World has begun distributing these masks to local children’s organizations in the San Bernardino County area, including: As they ramp up manufacturing of the masks, the company plans to expand their donations to national organizations as well. This is how Hindi and the Ollie World give back to the babies that need them most. The program donates Ollie Swaddles to agencies that work with foster infants, many of whom are either drug and/or trauma exposed. It is called “Full Circle” to pay homage to Ollie’s own start in life, with Hindi as his foster mom. One of the organizations that is a recipient of the Ollie Swaddles is SART who provide valuable and essential services to San Bernardino county’s most vulnerable children. Here is just one example of the type of impact the Ollie Full Circle Mission has had: Ray is an almost 3-month-old infant male. He has been consistently irritable. His foster to adopt mother was exhausted and attachment was waning. The mother was given an Ollie swaddle for Ray and immediately, right there in the clinic, Ray calmed. His mother exclaimed with tears in her eyes that she had never seen him stop moving. They had their first eye-to-eye contact, beautiful to see. His mother says ‘since using the swaddle and learning what you are teaching me, he has begun to grow and is sleeping and learning new skills. You and the Ollie saved my life, I was so sleep deprived. Thank you.” --From the ‘Success of the Front Lines of SART’ Case Studies With such laudable results, Hindi’s long term plans for a foundation and ultimately a clinic, working in conjunction with experts like Dr. Kiti Freier Randall, a pediatric neurodevelopmental psychologist, are realistic and the perfect outlet to give back to the community. In the short term? Ollie World has stepped up to help kids in the battle against coronavirus. More Masks, More Help! From this wonderful local beginning, Ollie World is making over 1,000 more masks, for FREE distribution to children who need them. Hindi and her team want to make sure that as many little ones as possible are safe. Visit www.theollieworld.com or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. The Ollie Swaddle is the winner of the Best of BabyList and Bump Awards. | 
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