Published: 9/28/2021 3:29:30 PM
GREENFIELD — A coalition of family support agencies is hosting a “Community Baby Shower” at Court Square on Saturday, Oct. 2, to help families navigate the resources available to
The baby shower, hosted by the Franklin County Perinatal Support Coalition, will take place next to the Greenfield Farmers’ Market from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., according to Mollie Hartford, development and outreach director with It Takes a Village, one of the participating organizations.
During the event, several family support organizations will have tables set up for families to learn about the resources that are available to them. The organizations include: The Birthplace at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Center for Human Development (CHD), Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin, Community Action Family Center, Community Action Head Start and Early Learning Programs, Criterion Child Enrichment, Healthy Families, Moms Do Care, the Salasin Project, ServiceNet and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.
“Families can show up, move from table to table to get signed up for resources, or to bring home some information,” Hartford said. “It’s like throwing a baby shower, but instead of all the stuff, you get access to lots of connections and resources.”
Hartford added that It Takes a Village will have a “pop-up truck” of items from its Huntington-based donation center, The Village Closet. Maternity clothing, newborn clothing and other newborn supplies will be free to “shoppers,” she said.
The event — possibly the first of its kind to happen in Franklin County, she said — is open to the public.
With so many resources available, Hartford said it can be hard for families to navigate all of them. Community baby showers, like the one scheduled for Saturday, aim to mitigate that.
“You may only know about some of these organizations through word-of-mouth or through your pediatrician,” she said. “This way, you get to meet them first-hand, and you can really figure out your safety net and put lots of resources together in an easy way.”
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne