IRC Volunteer Showers Gifts on Refugee Moms-To-Be

Photo Credit: Lauren Schroeder/IRC

Preparing for a new baby is a lot of work – especially when you’re a refugee in a new country. Longtime IRC volunteer Rebecca Tesar found a way to help out – by holding a baby shower for 14 new and soon-to-be moms. Donations of clothing, cribs, bathtubs, toys, blankets, high chairs, nursing supplies and other items were given out during the baby shower held Saturday, October 13 at the IRC in Tucson’s offices.

“Baby showers are an important part of our culture and provide soon-to-be moms with basic necessities to help make motherhood a little bit easier,” said Lauren Schroeder, program coordinator for the Well-Being Promotion Program. “Many of the larger items are too expensive for many of our refugee clients, but this shower gave people in the community a chance to donate gently used items they no longer need to women who may otherwise not have them.”

Thanks to the generous support of organizations such as The Diaper Bank and individual donors, the IRC in Tucson is able to provide diapers to dozens of refugee families each month. Diapers are an expensive yet basic necessity for refugee families and cannot be purchased with food stamps, so donations are greatly appreciated. For more information on how to donate, contact Tucson@Rescue.org.