Hosting a baby shower - Kiwanis International

Transcription

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
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
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?
Page 3
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?
Page 4
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?
Page 5–6
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?
Page 7–8
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?
Page 9
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
Pages 10–19
page 2
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
+
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.
-
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.
+
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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
• 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.
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.
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.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2005-1051/Chalasani
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.
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.
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
ooo_______
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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
ooo_______
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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.
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.
page 13
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:
Time:
Protect the
connection
© U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Kiwanis International
Favor tags
Trim
page 16
RESOURCES
Invitation
Trim
Fold
YOU’RE INVITED
page 17
RESOURCES
Thank-you card
Trim
Fold
Thank you
page 18
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

Hosting a baby shower - Kiwanis International

Transcription

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