The actors in a sitcom about “nothing really”, reunite for something very important. Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards who played the iconic characters Jerry, George, and Kramer in the sitcom “Seinfeld” for 9 seasons from 1989 to 1998, showed their support for the charity founded by Jerry’s wife, Jessica Seinfeld.
Baby Buggy was founded by Jessica Seinfeld in 2001. Since 2001, Baby Buggy has donated over 8.3 million items. Items, such as:
7,600 cribs
8,900 strollers
6,300 front carriers
4,500 feeding seats
2,800 playpens
According to the Baby Buggy website, “Baby Buggy works with a network of over 100 community-based organizations across the country to distribute new and gently used essentials: from cribs and strollers to clothing and bottles, all of which are vetted for safety.”
Jerry Seinfeld heads the Baby Buggy Fatherhood Leadership Council. Members of the council include well-known actors Ty Burrell, Jason Bateman, Common, Matt Damon, and Kevin Hart, to name a few. Since 2010, Baby Buggy has provided fathers, who participate in their programs, clothing and items to help their children, “From May 2010 – December 2014, Baby Buggy distributed 338,060 items through 17 different programs to over 20,383 dads and their children.”
The Fatherhood Council stresses the importance of fathers in their children’s lives. “In the United States, 1 out of every 4 children under age five lives in poverty. Forty-three percent of families living in poverty are headed by a single mother, which contributes to their economic challenges. In fact, children in father-absent homes are 4 times more likely to be poor than children in two-parent homes (U.S. Census Bureau, Children Living Arrangements & Characteristics: March 2011).” The financial benefits are only part of the positive impact fathers make on the lives of their children. The emotional and psychological benefits are immeasurable. Fathers play such an important role in their children’s lives. They provide security, leadership, and emotional support. Children who have healthy relationships with their fathers develop a stronger sense of self. Both girls and boys reap huge benefits from having a responsible father involved in their upbringing.
Unlike the seemingly superficial, petty characters they played on Seinfeld, these men are making meaningful contributions toward improving the lives of others. They’re showing a softer side of themselves, “not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
