Utahns host ‘community baby showers’ with gifts donated to mothers in need

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It’s springtime in Utah, and that means more sunlight, new life, and community baby showers.

United Way Northern Utah kicked off its annual community baby shower campaign last week, encouraging groups and businesses to host donation-based events. This program is driven by community members, church groups, and businesses, which host a “baby shower,” or other kind of event, and donate all the gifts to United Way.

Every year, these gifts are distributed to more than 400 families with children under the age of three. The families live in Weber, Box Elder, Morgan, Cash, and Rich Counties, with similar programs operating out of Salt Lake, Summit, and Davis Counties.

“Anybody who wants to put a community baby shower together can. They pick the day, time, they determine what those activities are, they make it what they want it to be, and then they bring the donations in after,” said Mandi Schill, director of resource development.

Schill said that while the program runs year-round, the Northern Utah community responds well to the “new beginnings” spirit of spring and hosts a lot of baby showers.

“Every donation, every community group who put something together, it makes a big difference. It goes to families in our service area,” Schill said.

United Way says diapers, wipes, and formula alone cost an average of $250 a month and can be a “huge burden for parents with newborns.”

Schill shared a story of a mother who had used her last diaper the night before and cried when her United Way visitor arrived with a pack of donated diapers. Amandi Goodwin-Garstka, the public relations director, told a similar story of a mother who was struggling and found community and resources through the program.

“It helps families make ends meet. I have a son, actually, and he’s just over a year old, and things are really expensive now,” Goodwin-Garstka said. “Families in our community, they do need that extra help just to get sometimes to that next paycheck.”

For information on how to host a community baby shower or a list of the most needed donations, visit United Way Northern Utah’s website.

Lucas Millhouse contributed to this story.