AURORA, Colo. — There is nothing quite like the love a dad has for his daughters. Dana Ship is proof of that.
When his daughter, Jayme Ritchie, was young, she'd come to work with him.
"Now it's basically come full circle," he said..
Thirteen years ago, Ritchie started WeeCycle, which recycles essential baby gear and matches it to Colorado families in need. Ship's other daughter, Morgan Seibel, would later become the nonprofit's executive director.
"The idea for WeeCycle kind of was born for knowing how expensive that stuff was and knowing how magic those items can be when you really need them and knowing there must be folks out there who could use them," Seibel said.
Her dad was proud, but it wasn't until he retired from his optical business and moved across the country that he went from super dad to super volunteer.
"I got offered a 'keep me busy and keep me out of trouble' to come and help out at WeeCycle and it was the best thing that happened for me," Ship said.
Every week, you'll find him at WeeCycle, packing and distributing boxes of baby gear, diapers and supplies for 50 partner organizations that help people across Colorado — and all alongside his daughters.
The help is needed now more than ever.
"We’ve all heard about who has been most impacted by this pandemic. It’s immigrants and refugees, it’s people of color, it’s mothers who are taking on the added burden of childcare for the most part. So all of these communities are people we support prior to the pandemic, so it’s just made things worse for people who were already struggling," Seibel said.
Ship said before working with WeeCycle, he never realized what people truly needed and how to give back.
"That’s what it’s taught me more than anything… you gotta give back," Ship said.
Ship will tell you this is the best "job" he's ever had, second only to the title of dad.
"Better than any day of work I’ve done in my past," Ship said. "It’s incredible to work with your kid, and see what she has grown."
Molly Hendrickson anchors Denver7 in the mornings from 4:30-7 a.m. She also features a different 7Everyday Hero each week on Denver7. Follow Molly on Facebook here and Twitter here. To nominate a hero in your life, click here.
