May 7, 2023 was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon filled with helping hands, smiles, and best of all, expectant lower income families who were showered with love and generosity at the annual Cape and Islands United Way and Women United Community Baby Shower.
In the spirit of a traditional baby shower, the Community Baby Shower was a celebration. It also helped to ease some of the financial and emotional burdens of new parenthood by providing access to maternal and early childhood resources, and many essentials for the new parents to take home, such as diapers, wipes, clothing and car seats installed by officers from the Barnstable Police.
All of the items, from car seats to diapers to handmade blankets, were provided by community donations and support, noted Mark Skala, CEO of the Cape and Islands United Way. More than a dozen local nonprofits joined forces with the United Way to provide resources and information for the attendees.
“This event epitomizes what it means to live united with everyone coming together help our new moms, their babies and their families,” Skala said. “We are so grateful to all of our supporters, donors and volunteers who made it possible.”
“Thank you for including (us) at the Baby Shower. I can’t express how much that meant to me,” said one of the participants. “It was absolutely perfect. We had so much fun when we got home going through all of the baby stuff and reading about the different organizations on the Cape. I had no idea about a majority of the resources there are to help families on Cape Cod. I have already shared some of the material I received with another mother.”
If you are a new mom in need of resources, please contact A Baby Center at 508-771-8157 or ababycentercapecod@gmail.com
