GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Community Baby Shower is returning for the first time since 2022 to offer a pop-up closet and raise awareness of the resources available to families with young children.
The free event, which will bring together various agencies and organizations
dedicated to supporting families during pregnancy, infancy and early childhood, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Greenfield Public Library, the first time it has been held there.
“At the event itself, there are a variety of organizations that are represented that have tables and stations where families can come by and learn about resources that help new families, folks that are pregnant or folks with young children,” said Jenny Coeur, program director at the United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region, a major participant in the Franklin County Community Baby Shower.
“It’s an opportunity for a one-stop event to connect with all of these resources and all of these families that are in that stage of life,” Coeur added.
United Way is leading a “diaper swap” at the event. Attendees are encouraged to bring clean diapers (new or open) to drop off, and visiting families are welcome to pick up a package of diapers to take home, as supplies allow.
The program will be hosted by the Greenfield Public Library in collaboration with the Franklin County Perinatal Support Coalition and the Huntington-based nonprofit It Takes a Village, which will provide the pop-up closet, offering free newborn clothing (up to size 2T), infant gear and more.
Kenzie Kinsella, communications and development director with It Takes a Village, said the library’s conference room will have bins of clothing available so families can pick out what they would like. She said this service “helps alleviate financial strain in other areas,” and she thinks demand will be high this year due to the economy and high inflation.
“This event is about making sure every family feels supported from the very beginning,” Kinsella said in a statement. “By bringing so many local partners together in one place, we’re helping parents find the connections and tools they need to thrive.”
Other participating organizations include The Birthplace at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, the Center for Human Development, Community Action Pioneer Valley, Criterion Child Enrichment, Moms Do Care, the Green River Doula Network, the Salasin Project, ServiceNet, the Greenfield Health Department and The Brick House Community
Resource Center. The event is open to all new and expecting parents, guardians and caregivers, with no registration required.
