By Kathy L. Collins
Newborns In Need, a national non-profit since 1992, provides care to agencies and hospitals serving premature, ill or impoverished newborns. Newborns In Need has a local chapter in Valrico. Since its formation in 2011, the chapter, headed by Sue Mowery, has helped 1,000 babies in our area.
According to Mowery, “The West Central Florida Chapter of Newborns In Need, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, provides items for premature babies, essential items to economically-disadvantaged newborns and bereavement/burial layettes. We are all volunteers. We donate homemade items to hospitals, homeless shelters, law enforcement offices, family crisis centers and any other place that provides for newborns who are in need.”
Mowery formed the Valrico chapter because “I, myself was a preemie (two pounds, six ounces), and know how difficult it is to find clothing for really small babies. I want the baby to have that special homemade outfit that the mom can use to take the baby home in.”
It is easy to help. According to Mowery, “Just come to one our meetings. You can also be one of our long distance crocheted, knitter or sewer. We had a young teenager who collected items from her church and I would make trips to Ocala to pick up the finished items.” Mowery added, “We support students who need community service hours and currently have three teens who are helping us do things such as sorting clothes, tagging items and stuffing small bear toys.”
The Valrico Chapter of Newborns In Need meets on the second Saturday of each month from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at the Bloomingdale Regional Library located at 1906 Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico.
Recently, Brandon Regional Hospital, in celebration of 30 years of delivering babies, collected baby clothes and supplies along with a donation of $1,000 for Newborns In Need. Mowery said, “We are so thrilled that Brandon Regional Hospital has chosen to support our organization as they celebrate 30 years of delivering babies. Without donations such as this, we could not exist to support all the babies in need.”
According to the National Newborns In Need Website, in the United States, approximately 2,000 babies are born into poverty each day. Over 540,000 babies are born prematurely, six out of every 1,000 babies die.
For more information, please visit www.newbornsinneed.org or contact Mowery at valrico@newbornsinneed.org.
