Onancock, Va – The dedicated volunteers of the Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital (RSMH) Auxiliary are focused on making a difference for patients at RSMH, and most recently in the lives of Shore babies. Auxilians made a $3,000.00 donation to Smart Beginnings Eastern Shore (SBES) for their Go and Grow diaper bags. The bags are filled with resources for new parents and are aimed at providing newborns with early cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills for kindergarten readiness.
Robert Newman (left) and Linda Schulz (right) of Smart Beginnings, and Debbie Cooley (center), RSMH Auxiliary President
The Auxiliary’s donation was made possible by the group’s annual fundraising efforts including the Althea Shelton Carousel Gift Shop, the Hospital Ball and the Festival of Lights.
The Go and Grow bags are available in English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole and include the following items, valued at $50 per bag:
· a brand new diaper bag filled with important information about how to promote a child’s health and development, including a directory of early childhood services on the Eastern Shore.
· a list of recommended online apps about early childhood development.
· two developmentally appropriate children’s books and information on the importance of reading to children from birth.
· supplies to help new parents promote their children’s physical health, including a Sleep Sack Swaddle Sleeper to encourage safe sleeping, and an infant dental kit to promote early dental health.
· an invitation to participate in a closed Facebook group to stay connected to fellow new parents over the course of their baby’s first year.
The bags are distributed upon discharge to the parents of every newborn infant at the hospital. During well-child visits, local pediatricians encourage parents to use the resources to ensure their child’s best start in life.
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