ABOUT
us
How Little willows operates
We began by collecting clothes from many different families that no longer needed them. Our dream was to give new life to these well loved clothes so that when placed in the hands of a new family they felt like an intentional gift. In order to ensure the clothing sets meet our standards, we do a lot of sorting and organizing so we can meet the current size and seasonal needs of each child that receives it. This hard work is rewarded with the joy and ease it brings to families receiving a beautiful box. This would not be possible without the hard work of the Little Willows staff, volunteers and Board.
Through local partnering organizations, it is our privilege to provide these beautiful, coordinated sets to children who need them. Our hope is that each box helps cultivate strength & confidence in a child's life so they can withstand the greatest of challenges.
Meet the Little Willows Staff:
Director
Shawna Disparti
Office Coordinator
Arden Walston
Purchaser
Meet the Board
Kim co-founded Little Willows in 2018. Kim served as Executive Director of Little Willows as the vision and mission took shape in the community. Kim opened her home to children in foster care in 2021 when she saw the need for more homes for the most vulnerable children in our community. Kim has welcomed two boys into her home through foster care, and will forever welcome them into her family through adoption some time this year. Kim continues to contribute to the vision and mission of Little Willows through her passion for community collaboration and individual soul care through a pastoral lens.
Tracee joined the team in the beginning of Little Willows with the passion to support foster family and community nonprofits in the work of making every child have a place to belong. She has experience working with nonprofits around the world. After serving as foster family helpers for a few years she and her husband got foster certified in 2020 to adopt a teenager that came to one of I Belong Project shoots. This past year they welcomed his sister into their home as well. She worked as a Foster Care Recruiter in Larimer County and the I Belong Project manager and now leads the work in Colorado as the Executive Director.
Lisa joined the team as our first official Board member and community enthusiast. She has taught children in and out of the classroom, lived all over the country, managed an after school program, served on other non-profit boards, and comes alive when blessing others. She continually longs to better the community she lives in, and is passionate about loving families well. She journeys through life with her husband of 30+ years, and together they raised 4 children. Lisa brings wisdom, community based expertise, and a compassionate presence to Little Willows.
Tricia co-founded Little Willows in 2018 and continues to serve as an early childhood enthusiast. She is a student of loving people well and uses both spoken and written words to encourage and inspire others. She can make a child smile within seconds of being around her, and serves as an honorary auntie to a lot of kids around the world. Tricia brings a diverse perspective and depth of knowledge on how to contribute to a community. She also has hands-on expertise on how coordinating clothing can make a big difference when caring for little ones as she raises two little ones of her own.
Rebekah Wishart
Board Member
Bex joined the board in April 2024. As a birthmom, foster, and adoptive mom Bex is passionate about caregivers receiving the support they need to provide a safe space for the children in their care. She has worked with children and various community support organizations throughout the years. She finds great joy in collaborating about ways to meet needs in the community and being a part of the team carrying out those plans. Bex loves being a mom, wife to her husband of 10+ years, reading, hiking, traveling, and connecting people to necessary resources.
Kellen Miles
Board Member
Kellen and his wife Alisha were certified foster parents in 2017. They have fostered several children and had the opportunity to adopt 2 amazing kids, Bob (13) and Lily (4) from the foster system. Kellen works in the residential lending industry and has for the last 12 years.