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Community baby shower helps families in need

United Way of Buffalo and Erie County

For a decade the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County has teamed with Oishei Children’s Hospital to bring essential baby supplies to families in need. This year’s Community Baby Shower is once again asking the public for items like diapers, wipes and baby food. The supplies will be made into kits to be distributed through community organizations. United Way President Michael Weiner said the Baby Shower is an important outreach program.

“In a community like Buffalo and Erie County, where we have high rates of financial hardship, this seems like the right thing to do and there are over 5,000 babies that are born into poverty each year,” Weiner said.

Diapers are an especially expensive item that can be costly to families living at or below the poverty line. Weiner said diapers remain a “mainstay item” in the bundles along with other educational items.

“It’s been a very successful program, over the nine years we’ve run this program over 8-thousand baby bundles have been collected. And there are also items that represent breast-feeding, healthy nutrition, how to help a baby sleep safe, particularly in a sleep sack. These are all informational items that are included in the baby bundle gift bags as well,” Weiner added.

Weiner said people can use the United Way website to make specific donations of baby products or simply call their office and ask how they can help.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Thomas moved to Western New York at the age of 14. A graduate of Buffalo State College, he majored in Communications Studies and was part of the sports staff for WBNY. When not following his beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats and Boston Red Sox, Thomas enjoys coaching youth basketball, reading Tolkien novels and seeing live music.
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