service project toolkit
Hosting a baby shower All babies deserve the best start possible. By hosting a baby shower for new mothers in your community, your club is providing more than just diapers, soft toys and tiny clothing—you are showing a mother support, giving her the confidence that, with this help, she can be a good parent. Both baby and mommy benefit from a baby shower, and your club will enjoy it too. Think of it as a baby’s pre-birthday party! Start by forming a baby shower planning committee, including your best party planners, some parents and grandparents, and any members who have a connection to mothers and babies in your communities. The committee can use these resources and follow these step-by-step instructions to make a great start for a baby in your community.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2005-2102/Bannon
Why it matters Your baby shower is helping babies locally, but there’s a bigger opportunity to help millions of other babies and mothers around the world through The Eliminate Project. Here’s how: 1. Educate yourself about the tragedy of MNT and share the message with your community. 2. Give and encourage others to do the same. 3. Serve the mothers and babies in your community.
Link to these helpful resources at www.TheEliminateProject.org. SOCIAL
MEDIA
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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How to use this toolkit Baby shower
Global issue, local need The Eliminate Project is making a difference around the world—and for your club, too, as you focus on maternal and neonatal concerns in your own community. That’s the idea behind The Eliminate Project’s service project toolkits: to relate the global campaign to local communities through hands-on service. Use the tips and steps of this toolkit to:
1 Identify a need in your community
Identify the guests of honor. Connecting with a mother or group of mothers who could use your club’s help can be as simple as contacting a local agency that also provides neonatal support to women. What will each woman need to provide a solid foundation for her first step into parenting her baby?
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2 Define your project’s scope
Decide how much help you can provide. Find a balance between each mother’s needs and your club’s resources. Will you give one mother everything imaginable or provide a group of mothers with a shorter list of necessities?
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3 Consider community partners
Look for other help within the community. Which local agencies, vendors or community groups could you enlist to provide specific items on your lists of gifts or shower supplies?
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4 Execute project activities
Host your shower. The possibilities are endless. Will you include games? What food and drink will you serve? How far will your guest list reach?
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5 Market your club’s achievements
Let your community know how Kiwanis supports maternal and neonatal care. Promoting your event before the big day and your success afterwards may increase the impact you’ll make for these mothers and babies as well as your club’s reach in the community. An important consideration: How will you tie this event to The Eliminate Project?
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6 Resources
Initial interview checklist Baby shower gift checklist Top 10 items for baby and mother Event flier Favor tag template Thank-you note template Coin can label template
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Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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a need in your 1. Identify community Find the guests of honor. Providing for a baby is very expensive. In your community, there are probably countless women who could benefit from your club’s generosity. Your committee may need to consult an agency or organization in your area that can help you identify women who are the most appropriate fit. Consider what organizations already serve women during pregnancies: • Local hospital • Pregnancy centers • Transitional shelters • Local health departments • Places of worship • Social workers • Health clinics that provide prenatal care
Connections. Ask a social worker or agency representative to help you make contact with women who could use your club’s help. Once you get a positive response, have a member of your committee meet with the mothersto-be to assess their real needs and preferences, using the initial interview checklist included with this toolkit. Protection. Keep in mind that there are confidentiality and privacy issues and screenings to consider. Respect an agency’s policies and work within its framework. Also consider the pregnant mother’s feelings: For instance, a mother may want only to give everyone her first name. Find out how she feels about photos of the event being used in your club marketing materials. Timing. You’ll want to connect with your mothers-to-be early enough in her pregnancy to give you time to find out her needs, collect donations and host the shower. You’ll want to plan the shower 4-5 weeks ahead of the due date, in case the baby comes early. Working backwards from the due date 4-5 weeks, and allowing at least a month to plan and collect donations, your ideal candidates may be less than 32 weeks along. Commitments. Try not to make any promises to your prospective mothers
Need some guidance? Contact these national pregnancy support organizations to find a local chapter near you.
Project Gabriel A network of church community– based ministries throughout the United States offering practical support for women in crisis pregnancies. May be able to connect you with mothers in need. Find a list of contacts, organized by state, on their website. www.gabrielproject.com
Canadian Association of Pregnancy Support Services An affiliation of centres throughout Canada that provide help to women and babies. www.capss.com
until you’ve reviewed your budget and made some decisions on what you’ll try to provide.
TIP
How it works The Kiwanis Club of Downtown Mesa, Arizona, hosted a baby shower for a new mother the club connected with through the Save the Family Foundation of Arizona, a group that serves homeless families with children. They were able to help a new mom get started, with clothing, furniture and bedding, diapers and more. Because twins are twice as much fun, Kiwanians of the Far East Washington, D.C., club held a baby shower for a couple expecting twins, providing baby clothes. As part of the same project, the club collected and donated food to single-parent families.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
You may need to work through a social worker or organization representative to meet challenges, such as verifying her housing situation or working through a language barrier.
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2. Define your project’s scope Decide how much help you can provide. Considering your club capacity and each mother’s needs, what can you hope to provide for these mothers and babies?
Assessing her needs. The baby shower gift checklist included with this toolkit can help you budget and prioritize your shopping.
3 Make calls or search the Web to provide funding for some of the bigger items you’d like to purchase.
3 Based on the mother’s input, as assessed on the initial interview checklist, mark out any items she either doesn’t need or already has.
3 Prioritize your list based on your known budget. Meeting her needs. Answer the questions below, then put it to a committee vote: Do you host a baby shower for one expectant mother and give her everything she needs or do you shower many women with a shorter list of gifts? There’s no wrong answer! 1. How much of the service budget will be allotted to the shower, enough to cover just the shower expenses or will there be enough to cover some gift list items as well? 2. Should each guest be asked to buy a gift from a registry, just send in a monetary donation so the committee can buy all the gifts or some combination of the two?
Here’s a good compromise.
In the invitation ask that guests send in a monetary contribution toward the larger gift items with their RSVP. Make sure the RSVP due date is well ahead of the shower date, giving the shopping committee members plenty of time to purchase those large items.
3. Will you be accepting donations of used baby items and clothes? This will stretch your budget farther and may involve more people—even those outside your club. But it also adds some work for your committee members: organizing sizes of clothes and verifying that items are clean, safe and not on any recall list. You may find that, after hosting this first shower, your club has lots of connections, resources and enthusiasm—enough to host multiple showers a year or one big shower for many mothers.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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3. Consider community partners Look for help within the community. At this point in the event planning, you know what items the mothers and babies will need. You will stretch your donation dollars farther if you can get some support from the community, either through existing programs, by asking people outside your club for donations or partnering with retail outlets.
3 Collect gently used items, but make sure they are safe, clean and in working order. Always search a company’s recall list before passing on used items.
3 Check with area agencies for mutual interests. Some organizations may already provide some items at no cost. For instance, see if your shower’s guests of honor are eligible for a car seat giveaway from a local agency. This would take one big purchase off your list, making way for other gifts!
3 Seek out your community partners for donations of snack foods for the shower or discounted printing of the invitations or promotional pieces.
To register or not Baby shower gift registries are offered at many major stores. Have your committee consider these pluses and minuses before deciding to register or not.
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Using a baby shower registry is a good way to share information: what has been purchased, what the mother still needs, the gender of the baby, thus preventing duplicate purchases and gifts the mother won’t really use.
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Sometimes people feel pressured to purchase all the gifts from the store where the mother is registered, even though a gift may be less expensive elsewhere.
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Busy people can purchase their gifts online through the store’s website.
+/- If you take your mother-to-be to a store to fill out a gift registry, you’ll find out exactly what she wants. However, you may be opening the door to disappointment if she picks out expensive items your club decides isn’t in the budget. Instead ask her for color or pattern preferences and have a committee member do the registering.
Here’s an idea What if your club partnered with a store that offers a baby shower gift registry? Talk with the store manager about the shower your club is planning. Find out if you’d be allowed to display fliers in store windows promoting the shower and even leave a collection box in the store.
+/- Registering can be time consuming, making all the decisions on what brand, color and size, but it can also be fun! Start with items on your baby shower gift checklist, so you get the basics covered without getting overwhelmed. Use the promotional flier included in this toolkit to let store traffic know about your event.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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Working with partners Here are some tips for working with community partners. 1. Leverage the brand. Prospective partners will recognize the Kiwanis International name. Use Kiwanis branded letterhead for all correspondence and be professional in your writing style. Also include information about The Eliminate Project, since it is the underlying reason for the event. (See the PR toolkit for letterhead and educational information on MNT and the effort to eliminate it.) 2. Be timely. Give your prospective partners plenty of advance notice of your event. If you are working with a large company, it may take some time to get approvals. Include a timeline, so expectations are established up front. 3. What’s in it for them? Talk about how their brand or company name will be presented in conjunction with event coverage, such as a list of sponsors in the program, logos printed on the invitation or names mentioned in radio ads. 4. Be specific. Name exactly what type of donation or support you are hoping to gain from them. For instance, do you hope they’ll be actively involved in the planning, providing manpower the day of the event or just make an in-kind donation to The Eliminate Project? 5. Know your budget. By knowing your event budget, you’ll know if you can agree to pay a discounted price for merchandise if that is offered instead of an in-kind donation. 6. Be open-minded. Your potential partners may have ideas about some event details. Hear them out, then decide if these ideas will work for your event and your message. 7. Get it in writing. Put agreements in writing so all parties are clear about expectations, timelines and expenses. 8. Follow up. Sincerely thank your partners for their support and update them on the event’s outcome.
How it works
Shower of love When you reach out to a local organization for help with your event, you open the door to new opportunities, including: • Resources to make a new mom feel special • Matching gifts to support The Eliminate Project • Potential new members of your Kiwanis club • New friends and contacts for club members
Weston, Florida, Kiwanians hosted a baby shower for the homeless mothers at the Salvation Army, collecting baby items in a playpen at their meeting site. The club entered “Janie Doe” at the Walmart gift registry and sent out fliers asking the community for donations. Some donors even used the online purchase option, allowing people who didn’t have time to shop still to participate.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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4. Execute project activities Host your shower. Now it’s time to plan the event!
Guests of honor. Make sure the guests of honor are comfortable with all the attention. Having more than one mother-to-be as guest of honor will take some of that pressure off. Encourage each mother to bring a few family members or friends as well, to be there for support, to share in the fun and to help transport her gifts home, if necessary. Guest list. Invite all members and spouses, of course. But who else would like to come? Inviting friends to an event like this will give them a first-hand experience of Kiwanis service. Invite children too if you plan to have games that will interest them.
Invitations. Mail out invitations to your whole guest list. Ask guests to mail in their monetary donations at least three weeks in advance of the shower, giving shopping committee members plenty of time to purchase and wrap it all. Include any registry information. Promote your event by sending out email, Facebook or Twitter reminders and updates. Ask for RSVPs so your committee will have enough space, seating and food. An invitation template is included with this toolkit.
Food. Keep it simple but special. Here’s where you can include members of your club who prefer the kitchen to the meeting room.
TIP Gift essentials Try these ideas: Coordinate drop-off dinners for the new mom right after the baby is born. Use monetary gifts that come in last minute to buy grocery store gift cards for those ongoing needs: food and diapers.
Gifts. If you are hosting more than one mother-to-be at your shower, make sure guests know to mark their gifts for a specific name. Decide how you want to arrange the room, allowing a place for each mother’s gifts and a place where everyone can see the gifts being opened. Maybe some of the larger gifts—like a crib or stroller—could be assembled and delivered to her home and just a photo could be displayed at the shower.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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Favors. Oftentimes a hostess will give shower guests a party favor, something by which they’ll remember the occasion. This souvenir could be something donated by one of your community partners or a local vendor or, better yet, take this opportunity to educate others about MNT. Print out and attach the favor tag included in this toolkit to your party favors.
Memories. Take lots of photos to include in your newsletters. Make three sets of prints: • One for the mother to keep • One to include with your thank-you notes to donors and other supporters • One for your club’s album
Thank-yous. Usually at a baby shower, someone keeps a list for the mother of who gave what gifts, so that she can write thank-you notes. In this situation, these mothers aren’t going to know these people, so thanks will just need to be shared in general, at the shower. You want to keep a list for your own reference, or the committee could send out notes at least to your bigger donors from outside the club. A thank-you note template is included with this toolkit.
TIP Looking for a way to get more members involved or include someone who can’t make it to the usual committee meetings? Have a gift wrapping party before the shower.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
Open your heart If you decide to send out thank-you notes, consider going one step further and ask those who have supported your local effort to support mothers and babies to support mothers and babies around the globe through a donation to The Eliminate Project. Here is a sample message for the inside note. Thank you for contributing to the shower gifts we were able to provide for the young mothers at the Kiwanis Club of ____________’s baby shower. Thanks to your generosity, these women are better prepared as they become parents. There are many women and babies around the world who could use your support also: those mothers and newborns in the countries still at risk of maternal and neonatal tetanus. MNT is responsible for the deaths of 160 newborn babies each day, as well as a significant number of mothers. For just $1.80, a mother can be immunized against MNT, protecting her and her future babies from this fatal disease. To learn more about the project or make a gift, go to www.TheEliminateProject.org.
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5. Market your club’s achievements Let your community know how Kiwanis supports maternal and neonatal care. Prior to the shower How will you promote this event? If you are asking the community to support this endeavor, you’ll want to get the word out through all channels. Using the graphics included with this toolkit, creative people within your club can create eye-catching pieces that will tell readers not only about your club, but about the bigger picture: Kiwanis supports mothers and children of the community through this baby shower and in the world community through The Eliminate Project.
3 Hang posters with your event details on community boards and in store windows. 3 Give fliers to each club member, asking everyone to spread the word. 3 Post a copy of your flier on your club website, on Facebook and other social media sites. 3 Send out a media advisory. An example is included in the PR toolkit.
After the shower By giving these babies the best possible start, you’ve made a big difference in their lives. Show everyone what the joy of service looks like: With their permission, post photos from your shower of the guests of honor on your website and social media channels. Use the positive energy and momentum from this first baby shower to schedule another one, helping more and more babies and mothers in need.
Remember the bigger message Depending on the size of your community, you may someday meet the babies who benefitted from your club’s generosity. But there are many babies around the world, whom you’ll probably never meet, who could use your help too: Those babies in the countries still affected by tetanus. Remember to keep this message part of your baby shower’s outreach: This event is helping babies locally, but there is a bigger opportunity to help babies around the world through The Eliminate Project.
There is a bigger opportunity to help babies around the world through The Eliminate Project.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2005-1051/Chalasani
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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RESOURCES
Initial interview checklist Name: Best way to contact you: Referring person or agency: Baby’s due date: Available dates for shower: Gender of baby, if known: Current housing situation: First child or other siblings at home? What baby supplies do you currently own?
How much room do you have for the baby’s furniture?
Would you prefer to use a front carrier, sling or backpack to carry your baby? Will you be nursing, bottle feeding or some of both? What areas do you have that need baby-proofing (or what safety items do you anticipate needing)? (fireplace hearth, staircase, cabinets, window blinds)
Use this information to fill out and mark off items on the baby shower gift checklist.
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RESOURCES
Baby shower gift checklist 3 Make calls or search the Web to fill in the cost for some of the bigger items you’d like to purchase. 3 Based on the mother’s input, as assessed on the initial interview checklist, mark out any items she either doesn’t need or already has.
3 Prioritize your list based on your known budget.
Equipment/Furniture Crib Changing table Car seat Stroller Front carrier, backpack or sling Bouncy seat Baby monitor Rocking chair Swing Exersaucer Playpen Bedding Crib sheets Waterproof sheet Crib set/bumper pads Swaddling blankets Mobile Nightlight Bathing Bath tub Baby towels Baby washcloths Floating toys Feeding High chair Bottles, nipples Formula Breast pump Nursing pillow Bibs Baby spoons Baby bowls Sippy cups Dishwasher caddy Entertainment Toys Books Music player
Needs Has Donated used
Cost if new
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Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
Toiletries/First aid Diaper rash ointment Baby shampoo Nail trimming set Soft hairbrush Thermometer Bulb syringe Infant drops Medicine dropper Hand sanitizer Teething rings Pacifiers Clothing–many sizes and seasons Sleepers Onesies Hats Socks Shoes Outfits Coat Snowsuit Nursing bras and tops Newborn mittens Other Diaper bag Diapers Wipes Diaper pail Gentle laundry soap Potty training chair Baby-proofing Outlet covers Baby gate Cabinet latches Window blind cord keepers Furniture corner covers Knob guards
Needs Has Donated used
Cost if new
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RESOURCES
Top 10 items for a new baby and mom 1
Car seat: File this item under “essentials,” as most hospitals in the United States won’t let a parent bring home a baby without an appropriate car seat—even if a mom is walking the baby home from the hospital. Car seats are the one item required by law. Car seats range in styles from portables that detach easily, allowing the baby to be carried in the car seat without waking her up, to convertible car seats that combine infant and toddler seats. Look for a car seat with a good safety rating, five-point harness, front harness adjusters and removable and washable fabric padding.
2 Crib: A baby spends about 18 hours a day in his crib during his first year. Look for a safe, functional model with multistage options. This will allow the parent to use the same piece of furniture as the baby grows into a toddler.
3 Stroller: Consider choosing one lightweight collapsible stroller and one full-sized model to suit other needs. Full-size strollers are large, sturdy and designed to adapt for the baby’s comfort.
4 Baby monitor: Baby monitors put a parent’s mind at ease while the baby sleeps. Choose between a video or audio monitor, and look for a model with a portable receiver to maximize flexibility.
5 Changing table: The changing table is where the magic of a clean diaper turns a fussy baby into a sweet-smelling, happy child. A changing table provides a clean, organized space dedicated to changing the baby. (Many changing tables are wooden. Could someone in the club refurbish/recycle a changing table by adding a fresh coat of paint?)
6 High chair: The high chair provides a place for the baby to sit when she starts eating solid food, and helps keep her food mess relatively contained. Look for a chair with solid stability and a harness to keep her from slipping out.
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Diaper bag: This important bag can provide all the necessary pockets and dividers for bottles, diapers, a change of clothes and more.
8 Diapers/wipes: The more the better. Newborns can go through up to 18 diapers a day. Don’t stock up on small sizes since babies grow so fast. Try to purchase a range of sizes.
9 Baby bath tub: Many new moms bathe their newborn babies in the kitchen sink. Once he’s outgrown the sink, a baby bath tub is essential. It’s easy on the baby and feels comfortable because it’s a small space.
10 Baby basics: From day one, there are a handful of small items to keep the baby warm, comfortable and protected. Scratch mittens will keep them from scratching their faces, while hats and socks will keep them from getting chilled. Other items to consider include a baby seat, baby plates, outlet covers, spoons, burp cloths, teething rings, baby lotions, pacifiers and bottles.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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RESOURCES
Templates Use these templates to create everything you need for your baby shower. You can print them on a color copier at home, or download them and take them to a local copy shop for printing. You might want to ask for card stock copies for the invitation, thank-you note and favor tags.
1. Flier Two versions of a flier are provided. Print the template you prefer on a color printer, then fill in the information about your event. Use it as a promotion or a decoration.
2. Favor tags Print these tags on a color printer, use a hole punch, and tie them to a favor or gift with a pretty ribbon.
3. Invitation Print and trim this template to create your own invitations.
4. Thank-you card Print and trim this template to create your own thank-you cards.
5. Coin can label Print and trim this label and affix it to a nice-looking jar or can to collect gifts for The Eliminate Project.
Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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Protect the connection
© U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Kiwanis International
Honor mothers—and the bond between mother and child—in our community and around the world. Event: Honoring: Date: Place: Contact:
www.TheEliminateProject.org
Time:
Protect the connection
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© U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Kiwanis International
Favor tags Trim
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Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower
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RESOURCES
Invitation Trim
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YOU’RE INVITED
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RESOURCES
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Thank you
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and neonatal tetanus.
help eliminate maternal
child. Make a gift and
between mother and
Protect the connection
and neonatal tetanus.
help eliminate maternal
child. Make a gift and
between mother and
Protect the connection
© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0655/Asselin
© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0655/Asselin
Coin can label Trim
