CHICAGO (CBS) -- Moms-to-be often look to their mothers, other family or close friends who've had children to answer the question: What do you really need to be ready for a baby?

Still, not every woman has those connections or resources. CBS 2's Marie Saavedra Hyde Park mother on a mission to make sure more of them do.

You may use your basement for storage, but Jamie Taratoot probably has you beat.

"It's all non profit and then like a little bit of laundry," laughed Taratoot.

The lower level of her Hyde Park home is headquarters for what started in 2020 from a social media post.

"A young woman wrote on one of the parent Facebook groups I'm on that she needed a car seat. So, I responded 'I had an extra' and I said 'hey, I'd be happy to give it to you.'"

She added "as we were talking, I was like 'oh, you don't have the things you need," Taratoot said. "She really didn't have anything ready for baby. I said let me just ask around, I'm sure I could probably put together some things for you."

When she asked, she received from that parent community. So many items, both bought or donated, that Taratoot personally delivered a carful.

"It was like a mini shower, I was able to throw her the shower inadvertently."

It was the first of dozens of women she would help in this way. From this basement, Taratoot founded EveryMom Chicago, providing "new baby kits" to families in underserved communities. Each is a tub loaded up with clothes, swaddles and ointments for baby, supplies for mom post-partum, even some breastfeeding essentials.

"I like to include things that I personally have used and really high quality items," Taratoot said.

She assembles several a month that go out to community partners and hospitals, to be handed out to new moms in need. Taratoot's motivation comes from having been where many of the moms are, entering an unknown world for the first time.

"I grew up without a mother and I didn't have a strong maternal support system, and I was one of the first of my friends to have kids and I didn't know what I needed," Taratoot said.

Each tub is a gesture of encouragement and guidance she wishes she had. And it did just that for Tamyra Loggins, when she gave birth last year.

"His name is Avonte Jr. but we call him AJ, and his birthday is May first so he's about to be one," Loggins said.

She said the kit gave her tools she need and respect she appreciated.

"It helped me out a lot because it's like, they're not judgmental. Like some people are quick to say 'oh, you don't need your kids, or 'you don't need this.' But they always provide diapers, wipes, formula, whatever you need the best they can," Loggins said.

Taratoot aims to give that experience to even more women, scaling EveryMom Chicago out of her basement, to produce kits in higher numbers. The demand is there, and with a growing community of donors, so is her drive to meet it.

"I really want it to be anyone who genuinely needs it can have access to one."

EveryMom Chicago runs on donations. Taratoot's also hopeful they can get out of her basement and into a space with more room for volunteers to assemble the kits.