Most of us amass a pile of stuff to donate to a thrift store when we’re cleaning out our closets. Kendra Robbins, San Francisco lawyer and mom of two, went a step beyond that and accidentally started a charity: Project Night Night, a nonprofit that donates "night night" care packages to homeless children. We wanted to get to know the driving force behind this amazing cause, so we called up Kendra for a Q&A.

How did you come up with the idea for Project Night Night? 

I noticed my son would fall asleep peacefully and easily away from home when he had his favorite "blankie," book, and stuffed animal with him. When I imagined a child entering a noisy and crowded homeless shelter without a stuffed animal to cuddle or a blankie to cling to at night, it made me upset.

So, like most parents, my son had more books and blankets than he could ever use, so I snagged those supplies to create the first Night Night packages. I delivered them to a local shelter and crossed my fingers they would like them. Shortly thereafter the phone began to ring with more “orders.”  Not only did the shelter love them, but they had told other shelters about it and they wanted care packages as well. Over the last six years, we’ve grown to provide 25,000 Night Night packages a year to 700 shelters nationwide.

If your organization received a large cash gift (think pie-in-sky type of gift), what would you do with it?
We would buy a warehouse that could both house an enormous amount of product and offer a location for volunteers to come daily to help us sort and assemble Night Night Packages.  We would also want this fabulous building to have a "giving room" where we could invite the local shelters and the children whom they serve to come by to select the Night Night Package that most appeal to them. 

What is your favorite part of your job?
By far the most rewarding part of Project Night Night is receiving photos, drawings, and stories from the children who receive our packages. Many of the stories simply bring me to tears. One little boy refused to remove the tags from the blanket we gave him because, as he explained, “If I take-off the tags, my blanket won’t be new anymore, and I’ve never had anything new before.” 

Can you describe your personal ethos in under 20 words?
Complaining gets you nowhere. The only person's actions you can control are your own. If you feel passionately about something, act on it.

How do you like to unwind?
A hazelnut latte from the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and newspaper, preferably this year's.

What are three things that bring a smile to your face?
My 4-year-old daughter's frequent use of the word "actually,” my son's victory dance on the soccer field—which lasts just a bit longer than it really should—and my husband's tolerance for cats sleeping on his back.