On Saturday, July 9th, Senator Street hosted a community “Family Baby Shower” for new and expecting moms, dads, and caregivers. Families were offered healthcare, dietary, and social resources at the event–that can help them and their babies live healthy lifestyles.
“It is critical that we support families in real and measurable ways,” said Senator Street. “Following a surge of newborns during the pandemic, my wife, April, brainstormed ways in which we could support new and expecting parents. We decided that a Community Baby Shower would be impactful, uplifting, and positive for many families struggling. I’m proud to join our sponsors in convening an event with over 40 vendors providing all the essentials for newborns and new parents, including critical resources for prenatal care.”
This event also featured interactive educational programs, information tables, and counseling assistance on prenatal care, postpartum care, diet & exercise, healthcare coverage, financial counseling, parenting, and pediatric care. Senator Street was joined by Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and Philadelphia Councilmembers Helen Gym, Cindy Bass, Isaiah Thomas, and Maria Quinones-Sanchez.
Key sponsors for this event included Temple University Health, Temple Hospital, Women Infants & Children (WIC), United Healthcare, and City of Dreams Coalition. The event was hosted by Temple’s Office of Community Affairs and Engagement, whose Executive Director, Andrea Swan, said she “was pleased” that Temple University was chosen as the venue. “We were able to connect guests to our enrichment programming for children, teens, and adults. I hope that more of our families in North Philadelphia will want to connect with Temple for training, education, and employment opportunities.”
The City of Dreams Coalition provided hundreds of bassinets for new and expecting parents. President Taleah Taylor shared that they were “honored to be a part of the 1st Annual Community Baby Shower and that the mission to support young mothers and family caregivers was a complete success as they were given access to hundreds of community resources, as well as the necessities to care for the babies from the start. The 1st Annual Baby Shower had a deep impact on the community as a variety of resources such as mental health, domestic violence awareness, access to medical care, and so much more were provided.”
The CEO and President of the Urban League of Philadelphia, Andrea Custis, is an advocate for children getting wellness checks shared the importance of an event like this. She stated, “When we look at the data (from Pfizer), the data shows that black and brown moms are not getting their babies immunized at the same rate as white moms. Because of this, many of us are here to educate, coach, and ensure our mothers and fathers take advantage of wellness visits. You can avoid 14 illnesses by getting your babies immunized.”
**********
Thank you for reading Marcus Arthur’s article on scoopnewsusa.com. For more on “Community Baby Shower for Families and Expecting Parents”, please subscribe to SCOOP USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital, and VIZION) are $90. (52 weeks / 1 year).
