TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. — When it comes to caring for a new baby, we know getting through those first few weeks or even years can take a village.
And bringing home a newborn can also be quite costly, especially if you don't have all the resources or family help.
But a new mom from the Tunkhannock area wanted to help change that a little.
On her way home from the hospital shortly after giving birth to her first child, Christine McCarty from Mehoopany said she just got this overwhelming feeling to do something for other new moms and dads.
Bringing a new baby into this world can generate all sorts of emotions for any parent. And for Christine McCarty of the Tunkhannock area, it was immense gratitude that hit her like a tidal wave shortly after giving birth to her daughter Finley in late summer.
"So on the way home from the hospital of having my beautiful little baby girl, I realized that we were very, very lucky to have so many family and friends that gave us things and made it very, very easy for us to bring the baby home to a safe home and everything like that. And then I realized that there's moms out there that are not as lucky," Christine McCarty said.
That's why soon after getting settled at home, Christine took to Facebook. She put out the call for all sorts of donations, ranging from baby diapers and clothes to personal items for new moms and dads.
A certain type of collection that Christine says was inspired by her friend who works at a local pregnancy resource center.
"And she explained to me how moms come in all the time. And sometimes they choose to supply their baby with a bottle instead of buying something that they may need like shampoos or deodorants or things like that," Christine said.
"Just washing your hair makes you feel better having a newborn. I get spit up on 100 times a day and not being able to wash off and put deodorant on and stuff like that. It is really, really a blessing to have all those kinds of things. And I think sometimes we take those things for granted," Christine said.
Newswatch 16's Ryan Leckey asked Christine about the impact on new parents:
"I'm overwhelmed with the outreach. I cannot believe how many people from high school that I haven't talked to in so many years, or I wasn't even really friends with you, just our acquaintances with so many people donated," Christine said.
Those items Team Christine helped collect were given to Care Net Pregnancy Center of NEPA in Tunkhannock. Like similar facilities in our area, the centers do a lot more than just hand out baby supplies to future parents.
"They do education. They help them along. They do counseling. There's a lot of free resources for them," Christine said.
And they couldn't do what they do without the generosity of people just like Christine. Her longtime friend, Mariah Stevens says, it was inspiring to see how her best friend of 13 years managed to juggle it all.
"And especially now, after just having a baby, she decided to put together this…raising a newborn," Mariah Stevens of Wyoming said. She was always a born leader. She always wanted to help other people. So she is a reason to smile."
And Christine still has an Amazon wish list set up that she uses to continue helping out the pregnancy resource center in Tunkhannock. And there are many others across our area that could always use donations like baby shampoo and diapers. Some even take very gently used baby gear and toys.
If someone would like to donate, they can reach out to their local Pregnancy Resource Center or visit the Amazon wish list to send the items needed right to Care Net of NEPA. They also will take very gently used baby gear and toys.
Click here for the Amazon Wish List.
Items they need most:
- Bathroom supplies, shampoos, deodorants, and body wash for adults—shampoo and lotions for babies.
- New Baby Clothes
- Wipes
- Bottles
- Pacifiers and Teethers
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