In Columbia, South Carolina, a mother can walk through the doors of Power in Changing looking for diapers, wipes, or baby supplies and leave with something just as important: a reminder that her health matters, too.
For Tanaisha, who is preparing to welcome her first child, that support has made pregnancy feel less isolating.
“To know that there are people actually in the community that want to help, that actually care not only for you but for your unborn child, really does make a difference,” she says. “You’re never alone. You always have somebody out here.”
Power in Changing is a community diaper bank serving mothers and families across Columbia. Each month, the organization provides diapers, wipes, baby supplies, and other essentials to families managing tight budgets and the everyday costs of raising children. Through its partnership with Vitamin Angels, Power in Changing also offers prenatal vitamins and minerals and nutrition support to pregnant women and postpartum mothers, at no cost.
In 2024, Power in Changing provided 567 bottles of prenatal vitamins to women in the community.
For many families, that support matters. In South Carolina, nearly one in eight women of reproductive age are uninsured, and roughly 7% of deliveries are self-pay. For some mothers, the cost of prenatal vitamins competes with other daily needs, from groceries to diapers to transportation.
Stephanie, a mother of two, understands that choice.
“Without the free prenatals, I probably would have cut costs and not taken them,” she says. “I would have probably prioritized something else.”
During her first pregnancy, Stephanie did not take prenatal vitamins. With her second pregnancy, she received prenatal vitamins through Power in Changing and Vitamin Angels and says she felt stronger throughout pregnancy and recovery.
“I took the prenatal and I felt good throughout the whole pregnancy with him,” she says. “I just overall generally feel healthier.”
For Kaylene, a stay-at-home mother of three with another baby on the way, the support helps her make choices that feel right for her pregnancy and her family.
“It’s necessary to get those vitamins,” she says. “And they’re actually pretty expensive if you’re trying to get a good quality brand. With three kids and one more on the way, funds can be very tight.”
At Power in Changing, mothers are not only receiving products. They are finding a place where people know their names, understand their needs, and continue showing up.
Ceceilia, a mother of five who experienced a high-risk twin pregnancy, remembers the feeling of walking into Power in Changing for the first time.
“When I walked through the door, I was like, ‘This is a good community,’” she says. “They helped me out a long way through my pregnancy.”
That sense of community is what makes the partnership powerful. Vitamin Angels works with program partners like Power in Changing to help expand access to proven nutrition solutions through trusted local organizations. Power in Changing brings the relationships, consistency, and day-to-day understanding of what families need. Together, they help make prenatal nutrition more accessible for women who might otherwise go without.
For Tanaisha, that support has changed how she sees pregnancy and motherhood. As she prepares to welcome baby Caden, she carries not only prenatal vitamins, but confidence.
“Before taking prenatal Vitamin Angels, I was tired,” she says. “After taking prenatal Vitamin Angels, I started getting a lot more energy and started to feel a lot more comfortable.”
But the bigger change is knowing she is not doing this alone.
For mothers across Columbia, Power in Changing is more than a place to pick up supplies. It is a community that looks out for the baby and the mother. It is a place where basic needs are met with dignity. And through Vitamin Angels’ partnership, it is one more way to help give women and children the health and support they need to thrive.