Mother/daughter team Rachel and Ruby started the Second Chance Squad in their dining room. Ruby was a Barbie Girl from a very young age, and Rachel (her mom) tried to save money by purchasing dolls secondhand. When shopping at thrift stores, they rarely found dolls that were fully dressed and accessorized. The dolls they did find had to be sanitized and untangled. Later, when Ruby was cleaning out her toy box, they found loads of what Rachel refers to as "Barbie Gravel," at the bottom: mismatched shoes, random belts, playset parts, outfit pieces. These things had long been separated from their doll, but they were still in good condition.

That's when the idea for the Second Chance Squad was born. What if the naked, shoeless Barbies from the thrift store and the Barbie Gravel were put together, cleaned up, and put in a sealed bag so they could be given to another child to play with? Rachel and Ruby set to work sending all the dolls to the salon, styling their hair and clothes, fitting them with accessories, and sealing them in cellophane bags so everything stayed clean and together on their journeys.

Now Second Chance Squad Members have a fighting chance of finding new friends to play with! 

If you have dolls or Barbie Gravel to donate, click the Donate tab above. If you work with a nonprofit or other organization in Nashville that can help find homes for our Squad Members, click Request above. If you want to host a styling party for your friends, Sunday School class, Girl Scout troop, or other group, click Contact, and send us an email. #SquadGoals