Community Baby Shower Helping Out Moms in Jackson, Michigan This Fall

Baby showers are usually a time for your friends and family to come together and celebrate a new mom bringing new life into the world and showering the family with gifts, necessities and advice. However, some people are in positions where those kinds of events are not feasible or they need a little extra help.

That's where Jackson's St. John's United Church of Christ comes in with their community baby shower!

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A Beloved Resource for Local Moms Since 2007

According to MLive, the annual Baby Shower started at St. John's when a group from the church hosted a shower for member, Wanda Beavers, as she was getting ready to adopt her granddaughter.

"Wanda was very grateful," the St. John's webpage about the shower explains. "Proclaiming, 'We should give a shower for all the new moms in Partnership Park; lots of them have never had a shower for their babies.'"

That's when Donna Benedict, co-founder and chairwoman, also jumped in and helped.

MLive reports that the first year of the event saw 26 moms and in the fourteen years since, an average of 70 moms have attended each year as well as more and more agencies getting involved and referring people.

The event has been and will be open to moms in all of Jackson County.

This Year's Shower

Like many things, the Community Baby Shower was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but it is back this year with one of their biggest guest lists yet!

Maybe the "quarantine baby boom" we've all been noticing has something to do with it but, Benedict told MLive, "As of now, there are 102 mothers and 107 babies that are registered."

The event will be taking place at St. John's United Church of Christ, located at 801 S. Mechanic St. in Jackson on Friday and Saturday, September 24th and 25th.

There will be two sessions each day, the first being from 10 AM to 11:30 AM and the second being from 1 PM to 2:30 PM.

What the Moms and Babies Receive

According to the St. John's website, each mom attending the shower will be provided with necessities like diapers, new and gently-used baby clothes, toiletries and each mom will be entered into a drawing for one large item each to be given away at the end of the shower.

The large items up for grabs, as stated on the website, include strollers, portable cribs, highchairs, baby swings, and more.

MLive and the St. John's website also shares there will also be education and resources available through various community and government organizations including, but not limited to:

• Jackson County Health Department
• Family Services & Children's Aid
• Birthline of Jackson
• Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
• AND MORE (CLICK HERE).