Walk the Walk Foundation began in a garage in Severna Park. After the heartbreaking loss of a child late in pregnancy, one family chose to honor their son’s life by turning their grief into something meaningful: buying Christmas gifts for a child who would have been his age and teaching their other children what it looks like to give. Neighbors took notice. Friends wanted in. The garage filled up.
Twenty-one years later, that same personal, hands-on, faith-centered spirit still drives everything the organization does.
At Full Sail Media, we’re honored to spotlight Walk the Walk Foundation as our July 2026 Changemaker community partner. This month, we spoke with Nicole Dolan, Executive Director, about a Millersville-based nonprofit that serves children in Anne Arundel County through three programs spanning every season of the year.
Three Programs, One Throughline
Walk the Walk Foundation describes itself as a faith-centered organization that exists to bless children in need by empowering individuals to serve through their time, talents, and treasures.
That philosophy shows up differently depending on the time of year, but the commitment to making kids feel seen and known runs through all of it.
Diapers for Babies: Year-Round Support
Walk the Walk functions as a diaper bank for Anne Arundel County, distributing approximately 60,000 diapers every month to 25 partner organizations, helping around 1,400 children. Partners place monthly orders and pick up from the Millersville location in a single coordinated day, keeping the operation lean and the diapers moving.
A significant portion of those diapers are purchased through the National Diaper Bank Network at just 17 cents per diaper, or roughly half the retail cost. That math matters.
“There are no federal programs or any programs that cover the cost of diapers for families,” Dolan explains. “A family who doesn’t have diapers cannot go to work because they can’t take their child to childcare.”
She’s also quick to point out that families in financial hardship often aren’t getting the best prices at the store. “If you’re really struggling to make ends meet, you might not be going to Sam’s Club or looking for the best deal. You might be going to CVS or a corner store, someplace that is convenient, so it is more expensive.”
Diaper drives complement the bulk purchasing, and Dolan welcomes both approaches. “Your dollars can go further,” she says. “But the components of a diaper drive really raise awareness and some people really just insist they want to go buy diapers, they want to touch them at the store and hand them to somebody. And that’s okay too.”
Backpacks for Kids: Back to School, Done Right
Each summer, Walk the Walk holds mobile backpack-packing events at churches, businesses, and community spaces across the county.
For a $35 donation, which covers the backpack and all supplies purchased in bulk, participants pack a backpack for a specific child and write them a personal note.
“It’s not just donating some rulers,” Dolan says. “You’re packing a backpack for Alex, and you’re able to give that note of encouragement.”
The program distributes around 1,500 backpacks annually, with recipients identified through a partnership with the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services. Routing referrals through DSS keeps the process coordinated and prevents overlap with other assistance programs.
Christmas for Children: Personal to the Core
Christmas is Walk the Walk’s founding program, and it remains the one that best captures the organization’s defining characteristic: personalization.
When someone signs up to sponsor a child, they don’t just drop off a gift card or a generic toy. They learn that their child loves My Little Ponies, and they go find her the pink ones she’d want. Gifts arrive individually wrapped. Families pick them up at a distribution event with activities for the kids.
One mom’s reaction has stayed with Dolan. The woman got home with her box, decided to save it for Christmas morning, and peeked inside that night. Everything was wrapped, carefully and individually.
“The fact that somebody took the time and the care to choose these gifts, not only choose them and pay for them, but to wrap them in such a beautiful way, that really just spoke to her,” Dolan recalls.
That mom came back the following year as a volunteer.
Staying Coordinated, Staying Focused
Walk the Walk deliberately routes its Christmas and backpack programs through the Department of Social Services rather than accepting direct walk-in requests. It keeps things clean.
“I really like that because it helps reduce overlap,” Dolan explains.
The same logic applies to the diaper program: partner organizations are the boots on the ground, the ones who know the families and have the relationships. Walk the Walk handles the purchasing and distribution; partners handle the rest.
WTWF’s Goals for 2026
Dolan is candid about where the organization is right now. She’s currently the sole full-time employee, relying heavily on volunteers, and the 2026 priority is building toward something more sustainable.
“I want to see the organization go beyond me,” she says. “We have to progress from me holding all the things.”
The focus this year is completing a strategic plan that charts what that growth looks like, whether hiring staff, investing in systems, or building out infrastructure to support the mission long-term. “This year is having a clear vision of what that looks like,” she says.
How to Get Involved
Run or Walk the Bay Bridge, November 8, 2026: Walk the Walk Foundation is a charity partner for the Bay Bridge Run & Walk, taking place Sunday, November 8th at 7:00 AM. Participants can register as a fundraiser (free registration with fundraising required) or pay a flat $107 registration fee with a portion benefiting Walk the Walk. Registration closes October 31st. Sign up here.
Become a Waymaker: Walk the Walk’s monthly donor program, launched in September 2025, allows supporters to give at any level: $5, $100, or more on a recurring basis. Predictable monthly income helps the organization plan ahead rather than react. Learn more at wtwf.org/waymakers.
Host a Diaper Drive: Collect diapers through your workplace, church, or community group to supplement Walk the Walk’s bulk purchasing. Drive kits are available through the organization.
Volunteer: From backpack-packing events to Christmas distribution, Walk the Walk runs on volunteers. Sign up at wtwf.org.
Donate: As a 501(c)(3), Walk the Walk Foundation accepts tax-deductible donations to fund diapers, backpacks, and Christmas gifts for Anne Arundel County children. Donate at wtwf.org/donate.
At Full Sail Media, we’re moved by organizations like Walk the Walk Foundation that understand the difference between charity and care. It’s one thing to give a child a gift. It’s another to wrap it. To learn more, visit wtwf.org.
