This March, Ross Medical Education Center in Port Huron, Michigan participated in the 27th Annual St. Clair County Community Baby Shower. This free event offered by the St. Clair County Great Start Collaborative is held every year for expectant families; offering information on topics important to the health and wellbeing of new babies. The schedule of events included guest speakers from the community, vendor viewing, workshops and door prize gifts. A variety of topics were covered including growth and development, healthy foods and nutrition, preterm labor, safety, and play. Vendors from local organizations included McLaren Port Huron Hospital, the YMCA of the Blue Water Area, Hunter Hospitality House, St. John River District Hospital, and the Department of Health and Human Services, just to name a few. The participants had approximately half an hour to stroll through the vendor area, stopping and getting information as they wished.
When the Port Huron Ross Medical Education Center team first learned of the Community Baby Shower they knew immediately that they wanted to be involved. The Port Huron campus fully supports this great event’s mission, which is to make sure that every baby born in St. Clair County is “safe from the start, healthy, happy and smart!” The Ross Port Huron team’s participation at the community baby shower provided guests with an opportunity to become aware of what Ross Medical Education Center offers. Focusing on the accelerated programs, which can be completed in nine months or less, aligns perfectly with an expectant mother’s desire to get into a family friendly career quickly. Also, they shared the fact that Ross offers day and night programs, which allows for students with families to continue to work and also attend school, something that is very important for expectant moms. The event provided a positive environment for expectant parents to learn about Ross and for Ross to give back to the community by supporting growing families.
In addition to providing information about the programs offered at the Port Huron campus, the instructors were also able to offer the participants demonstrations on how to properly swaddle a baby. This was a great opportunity for instructors to give back and share their extensive knowledge from their years in the field. The participants at the baby shower were offered an opportunity to try out the swaddling steps themselves. In addition, handouts of step-by-step swaddling directions were also available for attendees. Each of the organizations in attendance were asked to bring a door prize gift that would be raffled off to one of the lucky participants at the shower. The Port Huron campus was able to provide a donated car seat full of car seat accessories. The staff and faculty were excited to be able to contribute something that they knew would be needed and greatly appreciated by soon-to-be parents.
The participation in this special baby shower allowed the Port Huron campus to reach out to over one hundred members of the community and expose them to the great resources that Ross offers right in their own community. Everyone agreed that this was a great way to give back to the community and support new families. Being an expectant mother herself, Nicole Semrow, Financial Aid Student Support Representative, shared that she was “glad to be given the opportunity to participate in something this meaningful and important for all the new moms in the area. I think it is great that the expectant families are able to learn about our programs and receive our support during this exciting time in their lives.”
For more information about this important annual event please go to; greatstartstclair.org/great-start/community-events/community-baby-shower.