The problem - With the unemployment rate of 9.9% (US Census 2020) in Lewis County, folks need assistance with the items needed to get a newborn safely home and comfortable.  

The educational program response - The initiatives of Family and Consumer Science and Family Resource & Youth Services Centers are extremely similar so we were able to encourage making healthy lifestyle choices, nurturing families and promoting healthy homes and communities with this outreach we did.  

The participants/target audience - New and expectant parents of Lewis County are invited to sign up for this event.  They often bring a grandparent-to-be or a sibling of the unborn child with them.  The parent must be present to receive the donated handmade gifts.

Other partners (if applicable) - Lewis County Master Clothing Volunteers are our KEY people in making this Community Baby Shower come to reality with the efforts they extend in creating baby quilts, blankets, burb cloths, diaper changing pads, receiving blankets and bibs. FRYSC (Lewis County Family Resource and Youth Services Center) schedule and invite ladies/families to the baby shower. They also provide refreshments. 

Program impact or participant response.- This program has been ongoing for approximately 25 years.  Lewis Countians are always happy to see that it is scheduled again knowing what nice gifts they are going to receive.  The participants seems to have a high regard for the handmade items.  These items are not thrown together......the ladies carefully select fabrics that coordinate and lean towards a male or a female baby.  It's been amazing! We start collecting fabric in the fall so to be ready to begin sewing after Christmas to ensure readiness by the third week of April the following spring.