From left, Marla Welch, Denise Slusser, Veronica Vezzani are helping out with the public baby shower this coming week at St. Ferdinand's Church in Cranberry. Ed Thompson/Butler Eagle
Ed Thompson
A spring shower predicted for Sunday, April 14 will soak expectant moms in love, acceptance and assistance.
Walking with Moms in Need, a new ministry of Divine Grace Parish, is organizing a free community baby shower for all expectant and new mothers who need baby items, support from agencies that can help them, or even a woman to lean on during their pregnancy.
The shower will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 14 at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church’s Oldenski Hall, 2535 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township.
Each expectant or new mom will leave with at least two gifts from Walking with Moms in Need, and several booths will offer free baby items.
Free resource booths, games, welcome gifts, raffles, a light lunch, babysitting and other activities are planned.
Walking with Moms in Need began when a friend asked St. Ferdinand members Bill and Denise Slusser if any programs are in place for women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy or who finds themselves pregnant and without support.
“We are pro life and trying to give people options, but there are not that many options for them or they are not aware of them,” Bill said.
He then found out about Walking with Moms in Need, which is a national program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
According to the Walking with Moms in Need website, the program “works to ensure that any woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, or parenting in difficult circumstances, can turn to her local Catholic Church and be connected with the resources she needs.”
“We said ‘well, this is exactly what we’re looking to do,’” Bill said.
Bill is the chairman of the Walking with Moms in Need ministry and Denise is the shower coordinator.
Before Denise created an Amazon wish list where items can be chosen to donate for the shower, the mothers they had connected with were surveyed on what they need for their babies, Denise said.
The expectant mothers who have so far signed up for the shower were invited through a collaboration between the ministry and agencies that provide resources, which contacted their clients who are new or expectant mothers.
The Slussers and other ministry volunteers also placed flyers around Cranberry Township and announced the shower on Facebook pages.
In addition to Butler County, the ministry reached out to agencies that provide services in Beaver, Lawrence and Allegheny counties.
Bill said instead of just handing the expectant moms a list of resources, the ministry will provide them with an “advocate” who will assist them in getting services and even serve as a trusted friend during their pregnancy if they are going through it alone.
“The advocates will be someone the women can lean on, maybe like a mother figure, if they need it,” Bill said.
So far, 50 volunteers have signed up to help with the ministry.
Denise was encouraged to see many young people in the parish signing up for the ministry.
“The bottom line is every baby is precious and we want those moms to feel there’s help and support for them so they don’t feel like they are in a situation where they feel like they have no choice in the matter,” Bill said.
New, unwrapped baby items for the shower can be dropped off at the St. Ferdinand Catholic Church office during regular business hours.
New and pregnant moms, regardless of their faith, can bring one guest to the event.
Community members are invited to the shower, but must bring a new, unwrapped baby item.
Donations of smaller baby items, like diapers, wipes, bottles, pacifiers and other supplies, can be placed in a charity bin at the shower.
“We are really excited,” Denise said of the shower. “This is not an annual thing, so we want it to be a big event.”
The Slussers have two children who are both in their 20s.
“This is my first baby shower ever in my life,” said Bill.
Moms can register for the event, businesses can find sponsorships, and donors can find the Amazon wish list link at https://divinegracepgh.org/walking-with-moms.