Service Project Toolkit: Hosting a Baby Shower Page 1 How to Use This Toolkit

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 © UNICEF/NYHQ2005-2102/Bannon 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 Why it matters shower, and your club will enjoy it too. Think of it as a baby’s pre-birthday party! Your baby shower is helping babies locally, but there’s a bigger Start by forming a baby shower planning committee, including opportunity to help millions of other your best party planners, some parents and grandparents, and babies and mothers around the any members who have a connection to mothers and babies in world through The Eliminate Project. Here’s how: your communities. The committee can use these resources and follow these step-by-step instructions to make a great start for a 1. Educate yourself about the baby in your community. 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 www.TheEliminateProject.org page 1 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 Identify the guests of honor. Connecting with a Page 3 community 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?

2 Define your project’s scope Decide how much help you can provide. Find a Page 4 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?

3 Consider community partners Look for other help within the community. Which Page 5–6 local agencies, vendors or community groups could you enlist to provide specific items on your lists of gifts or shower supplies?

4 Execute project activities Host your shower. The possibilities are endless. Page 7–8 Will you include games? What food and drink will you serve? How far will your guest list reach?

5 Market your club’s Let your community know how Kiwanis supports Page 9 achievements 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?

6 Resources Initial interview checklist Pages 10–19 Baby shower gift checklist Top 10 items for baby and mother Event flier Favor tag template Thank-you note template Coin can label template

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 2 . Identify a need in your 1 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.Y our 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: • Pregnancy centers • Local hospital • Transitional shelters • Local health departments Need some guidance? • Places of worship • Social workers Contact these national pregnancy • Health clinics that provide prenatal care support organizations to find a local chapter near you. 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 Project Gabriel positive response, have a member of your committee meet with the mothers- A network of church community– to-be to assess their real needs and preferences, using the initial interview based ministries throughout the checklist included with this toolkit. United States offering practical Protection. Keep in mind that there are confidentiality and privacy issues support for women in crisis and screenings to consider. Respect an agency’s policies and work within pregnancies. May be able to its framework. Also consider the pregnant mother’s feelings: For instance, a connect you with mothers in need. mother may want only to give everyone her first name. Find out how she feels Find a list of contacts, organized about photos of the event being used in your club marketing materials. by state, on their website. Timing. You’ll want to connect with your mothers-to-be early enough in her www.gabrielproject.com pregnancy to give you time to find out her needs, collect donations and host the Canadian Association of shower. You’ll want to plan the shower 4-5 weeks ahead of the due date, in case Pregnancy Support Services the baby comes early. Working backwards from the due date 4-5 weeks, and An affiliation of centres throughout allowing at least a month to plan and collect donations, your ideal candidates may be less than 32 weeks along. Canada that provide help to women and babies. Commitments. Try not to make any promises to your prospective mothers www.capss.com until you’ve reviewed your budget and made some decisions on what you’ll try to provide.

How it works TIP The Kiwanis Club of Downtown Mesa, Arizona, hosted a baby shower You may need to for a new mother the club connected with through the Save the Family work through a social Foundation of Arizona, a group that serves homeless families with children. worker or organization They were able to help a new mom get started, with clothing, furniture representative to meet and bedding, diapers and more. challenges, such as Because twins are twice as much fun, Kiwanians of the Far East verifying her housing Washington, D.C., club held a baby shower for a couple expecting situation or working twins, providing baby clothes. As part of the same project, the club through a language barrier. collected and donated food to single-parent families.

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 3 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 www.TheEliminateProject.org page 4 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. Here’s an idea

To register or not What if your club Baby shower gift registries are offered at many major stores. Have your partnered with a store committee consider these pluses and minuses before deciding to register that offers a baby shower or not. gift registry? Talk with + Using a baby shower registry is a good way to share information: what has the store manager about been purchased, what the mother still needs, the gender of the baby, thus the shower your club is preventing duplicate purchases and gifts the mother won’t really use. planning. Find out if you’d - Sometimes people feel pressured to purchase all the gifts from the store be allowed to display where the mother is registered, even though a gift may be less expensive fliers in store windows elsewhere. promoting the shower and + Busy people can purchase their gifts online through the store’s website. even leave a collection +/- If you take your mother-to-be to a store to fill out a gift registry, you’ll find box in the store. 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. +/- 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 www.TheEliminateProject.org page 5 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 underly- ing 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 Shower of love in the program, logos printed on the invitation or names mentioned in radio ads. 4. Be specific. Name exactly what type of donation or When you reach out to support you are hoping to gain from them. For instance, a local organization for do you hope they’ll be actively involved in the planning, providing manpower help with your event, you the day of the event or just make an in-kind donation to The Eliminate Proj- ect? open the door to new opportunities, including: 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 • Resources to make a new is offered instead of an in-kind donation. mom feel special 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 • Matching gifts to support event and your message. The Eliminate Project 7. Get it in writing. Put agreements in writing so all parties are clear about expectations, timelines and expenses. • Potential new members 8. Follow up. Sincerely thank your partners for their support and update them of your Kiwanis club on the event’s outcome. • New friends and contacts for club members How it works 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 www.TheEliminateProject.org page 6 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 TIP would like to come? Inviting friends to an event like this will give them a first-hand experience of Kiwanis service.I nvite children too if you plan to have games that will interest them. Gift essentials Invitations. Mail out invitations to your whole guest list. Ask guests Try these ideas: Coordinate to mail in their monetary donations at least three weeks in advance of the drop-off dinners for the shower, giving shopping committee members plenty of time to purchase new mom right after the and wrap it all. Include any registry information. Promote your event by baby is born. sending out email, Facebook or Twitter reminders and updates. Ask for RSVPs so your committee will have enough space, seating and food. An Use monetary gifts that invitation template is included with this toolkit. come in last minute to buy grocery store gift cards for Food. Keep it simple but special. Here’s where you can include members those ongoing needs: food of your club who prefer the kitchen to the meeting room. 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 www.TheEliminateProject.org page 7 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 Open your heart • One to include with your thank-you notes to donors and other supporters If you decide to send out thank-you notes, • One for your club’s album consider going one step further and ask those who have supported your local effort to support Thank-yous. Usually at a baby shower, someone keeps a list for the mother of who gave what gifts, so that mothers and babies to support mothers and she can write thank-you notes. In this situation, these babies around the globe through a donation to mothers aren’t going to know these people, so thanks The Eliminate Project. Here is a sample will just need to be shared in general, at the shower. message for the inside note. You want to keep a list for your own reference, or the Thank you for contributing to the shower gifts committee could send out notes at least to your bigger donors from outside the club. A thank-you note we were able to provide for the young mothers template is included with this toolkit. 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 TIP deaths of 160 newborn babies each day, as well as a significant number of mothers. For just Looking for a way to get more $1.80, a mother can be immunized against MNT, members involved or include protecting her and her future babies someone who can’t make it to from this fatal disease. To learn more about the usual committee meetings? the project or make a gift, go to Have a gift wrapping party www.TheEliminateProject.org. before the shower.

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 8 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.

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 9 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.

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 10 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.

Needs Has Donated Cost Needs Has Donated Cost used if new used if new Equipment/Furniture Toiletries/First aid Crib o o o ______Diaper rash ointment o o o ______Changing table o o o ______Baby shampoo o o o ______Car seat o o o ______Nail trimming set o o o ______Stroller o o o ______Soft hairbrush o o o ______Front carrier, backpack or sling o o o ______Thermometer o o o ______Bouncy seat o o o ______Bulb syringe o o o ______Baby monitor o o o ______Infant drops o o o ______Rocking chair o o o ______Medicine dropper o o o ______Swing o o o ______Hand sanitizer o o o ______Exersaucer o o o ______Teething rings o o o ______Playpen o o o ______Pacifiers o o o ______Bedding Clothing–many sizes Crib sheets o o o ______and seasons Waterproof sheet o o o ______Sleepers o o o ______Crib set/bumper pads o o o ______Onesies o o o ______Swaddling blankets o o o ______Hats o o o ______Mobile o o o ______Socks o o o ______Nightlight o o o ______Shoes o o o ______Bathing Outfits o o o ______Bath tub o o o ______Coat o o o ______Baby towels o o o ______Snowsuit o o o ______Baby washcloths o o o ______Nursing bras and tops o o o ______Floating toys o o o ______Newborn mittens o o o ______Feeding Other High chair o o o ______Diaper bag o o o ______Bottles, nipples o o o ______Diapers o o o ______Formula o o o ______Wipes o o o ______Breast pump o o o ______Diaper pail o o o ______Nursing pillow o o o ______Gentle laundry soap o o o ______Bibs o o o ______Potty training chair o o o ______Baby spoons o o o ______Baby-proofing Baby bowls o o o ______Outlet covers o o o ______Sippy cups o o o ______Baby gate o o o ______Dishwasher caddy o o o ______Cabinet latches o o o ______Entertainment Window blind cord keepers o o o ______Toys o o o ______Furniture corner covers o o o ______Books o o o ______Knob guards o o o ______Music player o o o ______

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 11 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.

7 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 www.TheEliminateProject.org page 12 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 www.TheEliminateProject.org page 13 Protect the

Honor mothers—and the bond between mother and child—in our community and around the world.

Event:

Honoring:

Date: Time:

Place:

Contact:

www.TheEliminateProject.org Protect the

www.TheEliminateProject.org Favor tags

Trim

www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org www.TheEliminateProject.org

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 16 RESOURCES

Invitation

Trim

liminateProject.org E he T www.

Fold

YOU’RE INVITED

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 17 RESOURCES

Thank-you card

Trim

liminateProject.org E he T www.

Fold

Thank you

Service project toolkit: Hosting a baby shower www.TheEliminateProject.org page 18 Coin can label Trim © UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0655/Asselin © UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0655/Asselin Protect the connection Protect between mother and and a gift Make child. help eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. the connection Protect between mother and and a gift Make child. help eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus.