|
|
||
|
Rainbow Connections: Volunteers in Support of Big Island Families
If you gave birth to a child at either the
Kona Community Hospital or the North Hawaii Community Hospital a
few years ago, chances are that you received a newborn baby
basket to welcome your baby into the community, and to provide
you information on the variety of resources available for new
families. Unfortunately, due to cuts in both the State and the
County, the particular program that provided for the delivery of
the baskets was suspended, leaving some parents unsure of what
community resources were available to them if they had a need. Now – thanks to a grant from the Hawaii
Community Foundation – Hawaii Children’s Trust Fund, newborns
will once again be welcomed into the community with a newborn
baby basket, and their parents will be once again connected to
resources that are available to them as new parents. The baskets will contain an infant front
pack carrier to encourage attachment, baby’s first book to
encourage language and literacy development, an island wide
resource directory to connect families to needed services, and
other informational brochures. “Sometimes new families need help with
finding resources that are available in the community, and they
may not know where to look for them. Volunteers with the Rainbow
Connection will assist those families to find what they need so
that parents can provide the care and nurturing that every
newborn needs” said Bev Fraser, Coordinator of Volunteer
Services for Family Support Hawaii. The Rainbow Connection is a partnership
with Hawaii Island’s Baby STEPS Council as part of their family
strengthening initiative. Renewed funding for the production of
the baskets was recently awarded through Social Currency and the
support of partners like KTA SuperStores, Kamehameha Schools,
the North Hawaii Drug Free Coalition, Friends of the Future, and
others who are excited that the Rainbow Connection will once
again let parents of newborns know they are a part of a
community that cares. If you are interested in becoming a
volunteer with the Rainbow Connections, please contact Bev
Fraser either by email at
bfraser@familysupporthawaii.org or by telephone at 334-4103. back to fsswh.org |
The
Baby Baskets Are Back!