On September 10th, Baby2Baby, the national nonprofit that has distributed over 450 million essential items to children living in poverty across the country over the last 13 years, hosted a volunteer event at Center415 in New York City to support its new initiative to combat the maternal health crisis.
Baby2Baby’s Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kit program expanded to ten states, including New York, earlier this year, marking a significant step in the organization’s ongoing mission to provide critical supplies to mothers and babies in need.
Some of our favorite celebrities, like Ciara and Kelly Rowland, and more, joined the organization to participate in a volunteer session to assemble Maternal Health and Newborn Supply Kits that will be delivered to moms immediately after giving birth at hospitals in New York. The kits contain items vital for the health and well-being of both mother and newborn, including diapers, hygiene products, breastfeeding supplies, postpartum care items, and educational resources.
“We couldn’t be more proud to bring Baby2Baby’s Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits to New York, our second largest footprint where we serve 200,000 children every year,” said Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof. “The goal of the program is to address the mental health struggles of new mothers who cannot afford the critical items their newborns desperately need. We are thrilled to distribute the kits directly to New York hospitals starting tomorrow for moms and babies who deserve our support.”
As we previously reported, the maternal mortality rates in the United States have more than doubled in the last 20 years, disproportionately impacting Black mothers. Recognizing the urgent need for action, Baby2Baby was selected by The White House last year to pilot this program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The initiative began in three pilot states with the highest maternal mortality and child poverty rates—Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico.
