On April 26, this Saturday, members of Project Mom will convene at the Walsh Hall basement and host a baby shower for expectant mothers in the South Bend community. These mothers are supported by the Women’s Care Center, which provides pre-natal care and advice for those who cannot afford these necessities. However, every new mother deserves a little luxury for her newborn. This is the goal of Project Mom, to provide brand new items–such as diapers, strollers, bottles, and clothes–for these babies. As a proud volunteer for Project Mom last semester, I thought I’d share my experiences behind the scenes.
Firstly, Project Mom is sponsored by Notre Dame Right to Life, but one does not need to be a member of the club to contribute. No matter your view on the issue, everyone can empathize with a young, impoverished mother that cannot afford supplies for her baby. I heard of the charity and immediately thought–what can I do to help?
Project Mom involves three stages–fundraising, preparing, and the shower itself. The fundraising process can take months. Last semester, we raised $3171.30 and spent $1995.84 of this on the shower, donating the rest to the Women’s Care Center. On the Fridays before three home football games, we ran donation tables and collected money from passersby at LaFun. The online donation page also led to an outpouring of support, as did the Coin War held by Lewis Hall, last semester’s host for the shower. This semester, the donation page and private donations proved enough. Foundations such as Sycamore Trust donated strollers, and several other foundations followed suit with supplies and donations of their own.
I worked a fundraising table last semester, but my primary job was bakery duty. The night before the shower, all volunteers gathered and baked countless cupcakes, miniature monkey breads, and muffins. For anyone who doesn’t know, monkey bread is a delicious treat of cinnamon balls stuck together and baked with a butter glaze. Peel off the balls one by one, and you’re eating like a monkey, hence the name. Those hours spent baking were hours well spent–not only was it fun, but I got to bond with my fellow members and know that the desserts were for a good cause, not my stomach!
The hours before the shower were frantic–preparing decorations and materials. Tables were set for specialized activities, such as arts and crafts, baby bingo, guess the baby food flavor, and so on. Best of all, each mother got to take home oodles of gifts, including the crafts she made during the shower. Overall, the experience was extremely gratifying. April 24th can’t come soon enough for this volunteer!
You can learn more about Project Mom and make a donation on this website.
And if you wish to volunteer next year, contact Jana Zuniga at Jzunig01@saintmarys.edu