Recently the 90-member String-A-Long Quilt Guild held a baby shower—not for one of its members or a relative, but for the Tot Shop, one of the programs of the Family & Youth Services Bureau.
“Many of us in the group don’t have babies at home anymore, and it was fun buying these kind of items again,” said guild member Joan Crookston. “And we knew we would be helping out people who could use these essential things.”
Members of the Quilt Guild contributed not only quilts but also diapers, baby clothes, bathtubs, chairs and assorted other baby items.
Since 2003 the Tot Shop has encouraged responsible parenting by providing supplies for pregnant women and for families with infants and young children up to age 5. Families earn coupons by completing certain activities – prenatal exams, well-baby check ups, health screenings, immunizations, parenting classes and car seat safety programs. Families then redeem the coupons for items such as those contributed by the Quilt Guild.
“We are grateful for all donations to the Tot Shop, and holding a baby shower is a fun way for a neighborhood group, a club, or even colleagues in an office to make a contribution,” said Jade Palin, Director of Prevention and Early Intervention Services.
The Tot Shop Program serves over 550 families each year, and is one of seventeen active programs of the Family & Youth Services Bureau. For information about hosting a baby shower that would benefit The Tot Shop, contact the Family & Youth Services Bureau at 763-6623, or info@fysb.org.