Forget-Me-Not Baskets: Helping Families Heal, One Basket at a Time
During a season that reminds us to give back, we’re honored to spotlight a local organization that’s making a quiet but powerful difference for grieving families.
Forget-Me-Not Baskets, founded right here in Wooster, began with a simple act of compassion. Today, it’s grown into a nonprofit that supports thousands of families navigating the heartbreaking loss of a pregnancy or newborn.
A Local Mission That Grew From Love
Sara Ringle was a young mom when she donated her first bereavement basket to Wooster Community Hospital in 2007. She filled it with items she thought might bring even a small amount of comfort to a mother facing the unimaginable loss of a pregnancy or infant.
Shortly after, the hospital called back asking for another. Then another. Before long, Sara saw that this wasn’t just a one-time need. Many families needed comfort and support, often in ways they didn’t recognize until the moment of loss.
Today, Forget-Me-Not Baskets partners with over 55 hospitals and OB offices in Ohio and beyond, quietly supporting families in some of their most vulnerable moments.
What’s Inside a Basket?
Each Forget-Me-Not basket is lovingly curated with tangible items of grief support for moms, dads, siblings, and grandparents.
Some baskets include soft blankets, memory-making items like handprint kits, journals for processing grief, comfort items like candles or lotion, and keepsakes that help families feel connected to their baby.
The baskets are then distributed by hospital staff and care teams who walk alongside grieving families.
How You Can Support the Mission
Forget-Me-Not Baskets is entirely donation-driven. Here are a few ways you can support their work:
Shop the Wishlist: The organization has an Amazon Wishlist full of needed items. Anything you purchase from the list ships directly to their office and helps offset the cost of assembling baskets.
Sponsor a Basket: If you’d like to send a basket to someone outside of the served hospital network, you can sponsor or order items through the Forget-Me-Not Gift Shop.
Make a Donation: Financial donations help cover the cost of supplies and shipping, allowing Forget-Me-Not Baskets to reach even more families in need. You can set up a one-time or recurring donation through their donation page.
When Community Comes Together
Pregnancy and infant loss is often invisible, quietly carried and rarely talked about. Forget-Me-Not Baskets help families feel seen in their most fragile moments. What began as one woman’s act of kindness has grown into something much bigger. Such a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community rallies together for a common good!