With her three-month-old son, Xavier, tucked in her arms, Phoenix Ellis watched Wednesday morning as Club Richelieu members carried in armful after armful of baby supplies into Better Beginnings, Better Futures.
The result of the Francophone service club's fill-a-playpen drive, these supplies included a small mountain of diapers, wipes, clothing and 10 playpens in one of the offices at the Flour Mill-area family resource centre.
The items — all new, not used — were donated for the use of participants in Better Beginnings' Baby's Breath initiative, a teen prenatal and parenting program.
“I'm very grateful for all these donations, because that is what helps us get through the year — diapers and wipes and everything,” said Ellis, 19, a participant in the program. “That's super nice to see.”
The donations are a big help to cash-strapped young parents, said Dominic Francavilla, the father of 11-month-old Alexander and another Baby's Breath participant.
“For us, when we run out of formula, diapers ... and we don't exactly have the money for that, they're always there to help us, which I find awesome,” Francavilla said.
The donations to Better Beginnings were as a result of an initiative undertaken by three local Richelieu chapters — Club Richelieu Sudbury, Club Richelieu Feminin Sudbury and Club Richelieu de la Vallée.
The playpens were placed in public spaces, and people encouraged to donate new items from a list.
Claire-Lucie Brunet of Club Richelieu Feminin Sudbury said her chapter has been financially supporting Better Beginnings' toddler drop-in program for years.
The fill-a-playpen drive for the Baby's Breath program is a way to get all Club Richlieu chapters to take part in a joint project, she said.
The Richelieu Clubs in the French River and Sturgeon Falls have undertaken a similar project for young parents in their areas.
People have been enthusiastic, said Brunet.
“One woman wanted to know what type of diapers to buy, as it's been awhile since she bought diapers,” she said. “I said any type of diaper will do, as some baby will be able to use them.”
The donations are “wonderful,” said Johanne Thompson, manager of family and youth programs at Better Beginnings, who started the Baby's Breath program in 2004.
“(The parents) totally appreciate it,” she said. “We have a couple parents here with us who got excited about the wipes. Little things, when you don't have a lot of money, mean a lot. It's very expensive to raise a child.
“But you know what? When the community rallies around them to support them, that's such a wonderful expression of love to these teen parents.”
Learn more about the Baby's Breath program on Better Beginnings' website.
