This diaper and car seat giveaway helped more than 150 local moms

Photo courtesy of UPMC Magee-Womens.

The expense of life with a new baby can be really difficult. So for the second year in a row, the folks at UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital and the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank have made that challenge easier for more than 150 Pittsburgh-area mothers.

The second annual Hill District Sprinkle took place on Oct. 8 at Kennard Park, offering new mothers a block party-style celebration and a chance to connect with community organizations and meet one another. The moms also received a month’s supply of free diapers, plus car seats and additional resources to help with the cost of raising their new offspring.

“Caring for a baby can be a joyous occasion but if you have to make a difficult choice between food, housing and diapers it can be challenging,” says UPMC Magee Outreach Coordinator Bonita Pannell. “For one month, the choice won’t be so hard.”

Over the past decade, the Diaper Bank has grown significantly, providing diapers and other essential items to 15,000 families in eight counties in our region each year. It remains the region’s only basic needs bank and one of only two diaper banks in the western half of Pennsylvania.

The idea of a “baby sprinkle,” is that while some moms have a “baby shower” ahead of the birth of their first child to receive necessities as gifts from friends and family, people still have plenty of needs with subsequent babies. So a sprinkle offers supplies and celebration to any pregnant woman, whether or not she’s having her first child.

For this particular sprinkle, “moms were required to register in advance,” Pannell says, and happily, many did. “This year we helped over 150 participants.”

She points out that there will be future opportunities for connection and support. Parents can check the UPMC Outreach page to learn about the program and get in touch.