WARWICK — Family Central will celebrate the second anniversary of its New Baby Welcome Bag initiative on National Parents’ Day this Sunday.
Since 2016, volunteers and donors have contributed time, money and talent to help the nonprofit parenting-support network extend a loving welcome to more than 600 babies born at St. Anthony Community Hospital.
The New Baby Welcome Bag, the brainchild of Amy Sibillia, a Family Central advisory member, has become a communitywide effort.
Each bag contains the baby board book Goodnight Moon, a special-message bookmark, a folder of educational articles, and brochures explaining the importance of reading, singing, playing and talking to babies.
Most bags also contain a knitted or crocheted baby blanket created by volunteers, including women at the Senior Hall in Florida.
As part of earning her Gold Medal in Girl Scouts, Orla Bronson, a recent graduate of Seward High School, organized members of her group to crochet baby blankets, raise $200 (money for 40 books) and assemble many of the bags.
Barbara and Ileene from Hip and Chic made it possible for Family Central to purchase the Goodnight Moon board books at cost. Additionally, the nursing staff at St. Anthony’s Kennedy Birthing Center was instrumental in getting the initiative started, personalizing the board books with each baby’s name and birthday, and distributing the bags to families as they leave the hospital.
To learn about Family Central and how you might support the continuation of the Newborn Welcome Bags, visit www.familycentralny.wordpress.com or email familycentralny@gmail.com