Alexandria Johnson is the founder and CEO of Ready Mom Equip, a nonprofit organization that is providing baby essentials for mothers in need moving into a domestic violence shelter. Outside of being a TWU alumni and fitness enthusiast, she has a strong passion for helping women in need. Her own personal journey and struggles have developed this special affinity to baby essentials, and it’s demonstrated in the projects she has upcoming. I’m excited to speak with Alexandria Johnson about her nonprofit and the implications for the Dallas-Fort Worth community.

Were you born and raised in the Dallas, Texas area? Where did you officially grow up?

I’ve been in the Dallas, Texas for the past 10 years, specifically in the Denton area where I went to Texas Woman’s University. I received my undergraduate degree in Marketing. So, for the most part, I feel like a Dallas native.

What led to the inspiration behind this organization?

I was in an abusive relationship ten years ago. I had my bags packed and was preparing to leave him. After the birth of my daughter, I simply left and eventually checked into a shelter. The first thing I saw was that women, particularly those with children, aren’t well catered to in shelters. They’re designed as a place to lay your head with outdated cribs for the kids. Although I’m grateful for the nonprofit Safe Haven, the shelters struggle to find programs to help women in the shelter, including myself. My son was two years old, I had a newborn daughter, and all we had were the clothes on our backs. In order to carry my daughter and hold my son at the same time, I distinctly recall studying YouTube tutorials to learn how to build a baby wrap out of a bedsheet. One lady donated a stroller which was my saving grace. I wondered if the shelters now have better help for women leaving domestic violence. It was hard for me to come out with my truth, and I was embarrassed about it because that’s how most women are with domestic violence. I finished school at Texas Women’s University and then years after I decided to create an organization called Ready Mom Equip to provide baby supplies for women leaving domestic violence. My goal is to help women in the moment they leave the shelter, already having the supplies they need for their babies. I want to supply these women with bottle washers , pacifiers , and baby diaper rash cream. People don’t think about these things and don’t even realize that women come to shelters with babies.

What supplies are you working on for this organization?

I had to wait ten years to get here. This is a fresh concept that I began developing in August of last year. My dream is to have a diaper bags for babies ranging in the age newborn to 3 years old, each diaper bag with the ready essentials for the age of the baby. I’m packing my diaper bag, going off charts and surveys from new moms on what they needed with their children at that age I’m putting together a diaper bag that contains essentials such as baby wipes, diapers, rash cream, pacifiers, and formula. I’ll also include a baby carrier and stroller due to the “bedsheet experience.” The bag will be prepared with all the necessary items from newborn to 3 years old.

How do you plan to distribute these care packages?

We are now putting the finishing touches on our plan’s logistics. I want the shelters to serve as a point of contact between our organization and the women who need the bags, according to my vision for the initiative. We prefer to work with the shelters to distribute the bags to those in need rather than having individuals come to us and buy them directly for now until we grow larger that may change . The shelters already have a procedure in place where they accept the papers and gather information from women in need. If a mother visits a shelter, she need only complete an intake form with details on her kids, and she will be sent home with a bag shortly after. The bags are already packed and prepared to depart, so this process will go much more quickly. I have already spoken with Denton County Friends of the Family, Safe Haven, and the Agape Resource Center to ensure we are giving them the most simple and convenient experience possible, even if I am still working out the finer details of this plan. They agree with our strategies, and we’re thrilled to work with them to make this project a success.

Did you have any recent events?

I’m excited about the two events that we have recently held. The first one was a baby shower-themed version of our field day celebration in May in honor of Mother’s Day. We partnered with outreach centers and were playing games while raising awareness about our cause. We intended to demonstrate our current initiatives and future plans during the full-day event.

Our second big event was the Bridgerton Brunch and Tea Party, which is based off the popular Netflix series . There we had a live orchestra and a photo ops area , brunch buffet and so much more . We already had sponsors on board and hope to get more for future events. We helped spread awareness about our cause during the event and encouraged people to get involved. Tickets sold well, especially for the early bird option. This event was on June 10th at 12 pm.