The Children’s Museum of the East End is delighted to partner with Welcome Baby, a nonprofit that provides low-income families with a package containing all of the items they’ll need for their newborn in the first four weeks of life. Welcome Baby’s founders, Juliet Fuisz and Sarah Steinhardt, saw a vital need being unmet and decided to act. We recently chatted with Sarah about this incredible organization’s origins, keeping it in the day, and how you can help.
How did Welcome Baby come about?
Juliet and I started Welcome Baby on the heels of our children’s births. We were so fortunate to have all the resources we needed – but we became acutely aware that thousands of women give birth every day and don’t have any resources. We kept asking ourselves, “What if I couldn’t buy enough diapers to keep my baby clean? What if I didn’t have enough money for rash creams when my baby has diaper rash? What if I didn’t have a carrier to take my baby to doctor appointments?” These questions haunted us and that’s why we started Welcome Baby: to give every newborn a healthy, hygienic start to life, and give every new mom the peace of mind and confidence in knowing she can take care of many of her baby’s needs during that first critical month.
What can parents expect to receive in one of your “welcome packages”?
The Welcome Baby package contains everything a mom needs for her newborn in the first month of life. That includes 220 diapers, a one month supply of wipes, rash creams, a baby carrier, bottles, a thermometer, a grooming kit, clothing, baby wash and moisturizer, swaddle blankets, pacifiers, socks, and mittens. Nothing in the box is frivolous and that’s why we use the hashtag #necessitiesnotluxuries.
How can new parents acquire a “welcome package”?
At the moment, we work solely through hospitals and institutions like Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, pre and postnatal clinics, and shelters in the metro area. We’re so proud to now be affiliated with the Children’s Museum of the East End. To obtain a package, we can direct you to one of these care providers.
How do you foresee Welcome Baby growing and serving an even larger audience?
We are growing and expanding our reach every month. We’ve been very mindful to scale our operation responsibly, so we expand our distribution based on achieving fundraising goals. Our dream is to make the Welcome Baby package available to all families who need it!
What’s something you wish you knew before giving birth to your first child?
How many pages can you give me?! I wish someone had said – repeatedly while hitting me over the head – that it would all turn out okay and to truly take it one day, one hour at a time. It’s so easy to let your anxieties run away with you, which makes everything harder and scarier.
How can people help Welcome Baby?
The best way to help Welcome Baby is by making a donation! Welcome Baby is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity. All donations to Welcome Baby are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Each package costs about $135, and all donations go directly to paying for the items we include in the box. You can donate by visiting us at welcomebabyusa.org and clicking on the DONATE page.