Baby and Maternity Clothing Drive Now Through March 13

Donations of gently used or new maternity and baby clothes can be dropped off at any one of the 20 area YMCA of Greater Kansas City locations during their hours of operation. A donation box will be located in the lobby of each YMCA. The clothing drive is now through March 13.

The donations will go to the third annual Greater Kansas City Community Baby Shower on Saturday, April 17. All clothing will be cleaned by Courtesy Dry Cleaning, a local dry cleaning company located at 2300 East 12th Street in Kansas City, MO. 

Last year, more than 500 families who may not have been able to afford maternity clothes for an expectant mom or clothes for the new baby participated in the Baby Shower. Baby Shower organizers are hoping to double the number of families that can participate in this year’s Baby Shower, which is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at the Jack Reardon Convention Center in Kansas City, KS.

“The clothing for mom-to-be or baby is an incentive we use to get families to attend the Baby Shower,” said Chris Beurman, Community Relations Manager with Children’s Mercy Family Health Partners, a provider of HealthWave managed care services in Kansas and MO HealthNet managed care services in Missouri, one of the event sponsors. Once they are there, they will be provided with numerous educational opportunities targeted at expectant and new mothers and fathers."

"The families must visit the many educational booths that are at the Baby Shower in order to qualify for picking out one clothing item," Beurman said. "If they attend the many classes we offer, they can qualify for more clothing items. We just need those who are more fortunate in the Kansas City area to clean out their closets and make sure we have enough maternity clothes and baby clothes for this year’s event. The YMCA of Greater Kansas City is really helping us out by providing drop-off locations that are accessible to all areas of Kansas City.” 

Classes that will be offered at the Baby Shower include preparing for baby, breastfeeding basics, budgeting for baby, healthy exercise during pregnancy and how to have a healthy home for all of the family by learning about the seven healthy habits of a healthy life. Classes will be offered in English and Spanish. Educational tables featuring organizations who assist families will be located throughout the event providing individuals with education on what is available to them for keeping baby healthy. 

The 3rd Annual Greater Kansas City Baby Shower is sponsored by Children’s Mercy Family Health Partners, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, Unified Government of Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County Health Department, Brotherhood Bank and Trust, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Providence Medical Center and other community service organizations.