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Showing posts with label What is Welcome Baby?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What is Welcome Baby?. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Welcome Baby Playgroups!

Playgroups are important for children because they learn important social skills, learn to understand emotions, develop motor skills, problem solving and creative skills. Play is an important outlet for children because they can express themselves and build confidence. It is also a great social outlet for parents to connect with each other and become friends!




GET INVOLVED!

Welcome Baby has 4 playgroup locations. Email: baby1@unitedwayuc.org if you are interested in our Orem, PG, or Springville playgroups to find out specific locations each week. 

Orem  NEW Location! 

Wednesdays @ 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location varies each week. 

Pleasant Grove
Tuesdays @ 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location varies each week.

Springville
Thursdays @ 11 a.m. -12 p.m. (Children's free play starts at 10 a.m.)
Location varies each week.


Provo  
Fridays @ 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
South Franklin Community Center
750 South 650 West in Provo



To sign up to join a playgroup please click on the link below and fill it out!
Playgroup form


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Volunteer Opportunities with Welcome Baby

Are you looking for an opportunity to volunteer in your community?  Well, you are in luck! The Welcome Baby program of United Way in Utah County is seeking new volunteers to provide home visits to families from Lehi to Payson! We need help reaching out to all the families who desire either a one-time visit or long terms visits. 

Volunteers are important and valued by Welcome Baby, contributing 85% to our program. Without our volunteers, the Welcome Baby program would not exist! A big thanks to our current and past volunteers!

Become a Volunteer

Become a Welcome Baby volunteer home visitor and enjoy the fulfillment of strengthening families in your community. Have fun interacting with parents and their new babies, bringing new information and activities while sharing insights from your personal experience. You can make a difference in the lives of families in Utah County! Here is what you need to know and do to get involved with our program.

Welcome Baby is a home visitation program sponsored by the Utah County Health Department and the United Way of Utah County.  We train volunteers to visit new parents in our community. We offer two volunteer opportunities: (1) Long term visits to families and (2) One-time visits to families.

If you are interested please submit an application. We would greatly appreciate your help to better our community!

Volunteer Testimonials

I love to do service! I have been a volunteer for 1 year and 7 months. An experience I have had as a Welcome Baby Volunteer is a lady in Orem who I visited would feed me dinner when I came over for her 6 week visits. It was a pleasure meeting with her because she treated me like family! She was extremely grateful for all the resources I gave her and loved the program very much. -Denise
I have been volunteering with Welcome Baby sine February 2012. I have had a great experience visiting and observing the development of babies. I have learned a lot by studying the Welcome Baby packet and my knowledge that I have gained has contributed to my confidence in order to visit and evaluate kids 0-3 years old. I have got attached visiting some families. -Roxana


Monday, July 16, 2012

Donation Spotlight!

Every once in awhile we like to spotlight some of the great donations that come into Welcome Baby.  We are always blown away by the cute baby items that are donated!  

Many local religious organizations like to do large service projects activities.  Making simple baby item like these are a perfect service project!


 Look how cute these texture balls are!  These are great for babies to play with as they start discovering their senses. 
 Adorable baby blankets
Cute crochet baby booties


We also had another group donate bags and bags of baby items.  Each blanket was just filled with love!


We've also had some great Eagle Scout book drives come in.  Recently we've had two great boys gather books in their neighborhoods, totaling over 500 new books!

We are so grateful for all the wonderful donations.  It reminds us each time of the great community members who want to help those around them.  Each donation is filled with many hours and lots of love.

If you would like to donate, contact us at 801-691-5320.


We are always looking for these items:
-New children's books
-Receiving blankets
-Burp cloths
-Diapers
-Plush baby toys




Monday, May 14, 2012

Meet Our New Welcome Baby Interns!


We are happy to introduce our new Welcome Baby interns.  Each semester Welcome Baby receives new interns to run the program.  We hope you can get a chance to meet them.  They are excited to get to work!

Socorro
I am the oldest of nine kids and I grew up in good old Orem, Utah.  I’m now a senior at UVU and I’m hoping to be graduating this December in Community Health Education.  I love health and helping people to live life to their fullest potentials!   I love to dance and read.  I was a ballerina and a ballroom dancer growing up, and I love to read everything from sci-fi/fantasy to self-help books!  My husband and I have been married for almost four years now, and we just had our very first baby girl this last December.  I absolutely love being a mommy, it has been the hardest, most challenging, and yet the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my entire life! Welcome Baby is such a wonderful program that I’m glad to have been able be a part of as a new mom, and now I’m very excited to have the chance to be an intern and be more involved with the parents in my community!  


Chelsy
Hi, my name is Chelsy. I’m one of the new interns with Welcome Baby and I’m very excited to be working with the United Way of Utah County. I’m currently a student at Brigham Young University and I’m studying Human Development & Family Studies. I love learning about child development and how the family plays an important role in the lives of children. I’m originally from Canada, and I enjoy the outdoors and dancing. I also like to garden and my husband and I look forward to our home grown vegetables this year. I am excited for my experience here with Welcome Baby because it is such a wonderful and helpful program for families.

Maren
My name is Maren and I’m excited to be an intern here at Welcome Baby!  I’m a single mom with three great kids.  I’m a full time student at UVU studying behavioral science with an emphasis in family studies.  I’m looking forward to graduating in the fall.  I enjoy dancing, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.  I hope to learn how to strengthen my family and families in the community.



Brooke
I’m a married mother of four beautiful children; Rielly 13, Brighton 7, Kinilau 6, and Semisi 1.  My passions are playing with my children, reading, and baking delicious treats! Both my husband and I are students at Utah Valley University.  I will graduate with a Bachelors in Public and Community Health summer of 2012, then will be applying to a Physician’s Assistant program.  Healthcare has always been my passion, but interning with Welcome Baby at United Way is an exciting opportunity and will give me great experience within community.



Thursday, April 5, 2012

Opportunities to Volunteer with Welcome Baby!

Would you like the opportunity to volunteer? A chance to help provide support to new families in Utah County? Well, you are in luck! The Welcome Baby Program is looking for new volunteers to do home visits throughout Utah County, from Lehi to Payson! It is wonderful that our program has expanded so much, but we need help to reach all the families who are interested in receiving 1 time and long term visits! If you are interested please submit an application! We would greatly appreciate your help to better our community! 
Mission
Mission Statement
Become a Volunteer

Become a Welcome Baby volunteer home visitor and enjoy the fulfillment of strengthening families in your community. Have fun interacting with parents and their new babies, bringing new information and activities while sharing insights from your personal experience. You can make a difference in the lives of families in Utah County!
Welcome Baby is a home visitation program sponsored by the Utah County Health Department and the United Way of Utah County.  We train volunteers to visit new parents in our community. We offer two volunteer opportunities: (1) Long term visits to families and (2) One-time visits to families.
Click here to submit your application and to find out more information about home visits.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Additional Welcome Baby Resources




For those of you who aren't aware, the Utah County Health Department also has a Welcome Baby Home Visitation Program. The nurses at the health department visit high risk families in the community to make sure their needs are being met and that they are receiving the information they need to better their family. The health department just began their blog and we wanted to share it on our blog as additional resources for you. The health department provides classes and and programs to families in the community. 
Click here to go to their blog!


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Introducing our INTERNS!

Not only is it a new year, but it is also a new semester!  As many of you know, our program is run by amazing interns who have a passion for families, health and education.  These wonderful ladies are the cream of the crop and full of life!  It takes just a few weeks to get into the routine of things, but then we'll all be off and running.  We have many new ideas, so keep your eye out for changes.  And as usual, if you ever have any questions, please let us know!

Here is a little bit about each one of our interns, hopefully you can get to know these ladies!
Tessa Nelson
I am a senior at UVU studying Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Family Studies. I am originally from Montana and I love going back there to visit my extended family! My family moved to Lehi about 14 years ago. I graduated from Lehi High School in 2006. I have been married for over two years and my husband and I are expecting our first child in April. I will be graduating and having a baby about a week apart from each other! I am excited to begin my internship with Welcome Baby! I am looking forward to working with the volunteers and with the families and helping families receive the resources they need to strengthen their family.
Ally Gordon
Hey I’m Ally! This coming April I am graduating in Public Health with a Health Promotion emphasis from Brigham Young University. I feel strongly about prevention, which is one of the main reasons I decided to go into Public Health. I have many areas of interest within public health, one of them being maternal/child health.  I believe that the first few years of a child’s life, including the prenatal time period, greatly impact the rest of that child’s life. I was born in Payson, UT and raised in Spanish Fork, UT. I love doing things outdoors, especially when the weather is warm. I recently took up snowboarding, which has made winters a lot more enjoyable! I also enjoy camping, reading, dancing, singing, shopping, and  spending time with family and friends.
 Susannah Naillon
 I will be receiving my undergraduate degree in Public Health in April '12 from BYU. I decided to pursue this field because I really enjoy helping others, and have always felt that "health" is one of the biggest aspect in our lives that influences who we are.  I am thrilled to be working with United Way's Welcome Baby program because it allows me to help others, connect with the community, and strengthen the health of the community. I am a proud mother to a sweet baby boy, who was born in March of 2011. Although he has only been in my life for such a short amount of time, he has made me realize how life is so precious. As a mother, I understand how rewarding it is to be a parent, and hope that I can learn from parents in the community.  I also speak Japanese fluently and Mandarin Chinese semi-fluently. It is my hope that I can reach out to a variety of people using my language skills. 

Andrea Lamb
I grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and although it's been awhile since I graduation, I still have plenty of PGHS Viking pride. I'm currently a senior at BYU, and I will be receiving my BS in Public Health--Health Promotion track this April. When I started college and began looking at a major, I just couldn't think of anything more important in life than being healthy, and I wanted to be able help others find correct health information, change harmful behaviors, and achieve optimal health. I believe health is essential to enjoying the other delights of life! I got engaged to my high school sweetheart in December, and we will be married later this semester. I have lived in China, and I'm headed to Thailand this summer to do humanitarian work. I love running and anything that involves being outside, and the hope of summer pulls me through every Utah winter. I have nine nieces and nephews and I love spending time with them. I'm excited to be working as an intern with United Way helping families improve their health!
Stacey Mitchell
Some of you might remember me, but I have a new name! I recently got married and love it!  I've been an intern with Welcome Baby since April and have loved it so much I decided to stay.  I will now be a Welcome Baby Vista for the next year.   A Vista is like the PeaceCorp, but stateside service.  I will be focusing on volunteer recruitment, community playgroups, and family education.  My favorite part of this job is helping families connect to resources that in turn help them be better parents.  I love seeing new mothers hold their infant baby and realize what a sweet opportunity they have to be parents, teachers, and motivators!  I look forward to a great new year with Welcome Baby.

Stephanie Anderson


My name is Stephanie Anderson and I am the Welcome Baby Coordinator.  I have been at United Way for a year and the time has flown by.  We have such dedicated volunteers and interns that do so much to make the program successful.  My passion and love is  working with parents and caregivers.   I believe that we learn from each other and shared experience can help each of us.  I previously worked for BYU Broadcasting as the Ready To Learn Coordinator and teach for Child Care Resource and Referral and UVU as an adjunct professor in the Early Education Department.  My husband and I have eight children and are lucky to have four wonderful grandchildren. 



Monday, December 5, 2011

Volunteer Spotlight

Our wonderful Welcome Baby volunteers never cease to amaze us!  We have wonderful people volunteer their time, expertise, and love to so many families in Utah County.  The more I work with our volunteers, the more I am impressed with their abilities. I really feel so lucky to have such a great team!

I know I've said this before, but our program WOULD NOT run without our volunteers.  They are the ones who visit our families, report back to us concerns, and support the individual families.  It's easy to get focused on numbers and office tasks, but when you stop and think about the combine hours these volunteers contribute to our program, it is overwhelming.


Recently, the Volunteer Recognition Program provided by the Utah Commission of Volunteers contacted us asking for a nomination of one of our great volunteers.  It was a difficult decision, but we nominated Tedi Palmer for her outstanding service to our community.

Tedi has been volunteering with us for over a year and does a wonderful job with our long term families. She is aware of each families needs, visits them monthly, and is so good to send volunteer reports.  Above all, she is so great to work with and truly has a love for helping families.

Thank you Tedi, we are so grateful for her help and support!


If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please email us at baby1@unitedwayuc.org



Monday, November 21, 2011

A Special Thanks To....

Timpanogos Regional Hospital for donating 20,000 diapers to United Way.  The diapers were redistributed to Pregnancy Resources Center, Utah Health Department Welcome Baby Program and United Way Welcome Baby to reach more families in need.  Timpanogos Regional Hospital donated another 20,000 diapers to Community Action for a total of 40,000 diapers from their diaper drive during the month of November.  

Utah County Health Department Welcome Baby Program
Registered nurses visit families with babies at risk for developmental delays, families on medicaid and Teen Parents.  Nurses answer any questions or concerns parents may have as well as providing helpful educational information specific to their situation.  Nurses also do Spanish Home Visitations.

Visit their Website: http://www.utahcountyonline.org/Dept/Health/WelcomeBaby/Index.asp
 
Nurses at Public Health Department
Pregnancy Resource Center
The Pregnancy Resource Center is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to helping those unprepared for pregnancy.  Call to see how to qualify for diaper donations.

1367 South 740 East
Orem, UT 84097
Phone: 801-221-2591
Office Hours: M/T/Th 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
 






Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Welcome Baby Newsletters

Hey! Did you know that Welcome Baby has a monthly newsletter? Every month we send out a FREE newsletter full of helpful tips, advice, and fun community events that are coming up! If you want to be a part of this great resource just send us your name and e-mail address and you will be on your way to more great parenting ideas!

baby1@unitedwayuc.org


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Behind the scenes of Welcome Baby

There are so many people that help Welcome Baby to be a successful program. Our wonderful volunteers are a huge force that keep us running and we're so grateful for their willingness to contribute their time and knowledge.  However, another aspect of Welcome Baby is our wonderful Interns!  This semester we have interns from BYU, UVU, and Weber State.  These girls are high energy, excited about child development, and so much fun!  They truly are the hands (and smiles) that make the program run.  We thought we'd introduce each one of them to help you become a little bit more familiar with their fun personalities and perhaps the people you email and call.

Erika


Hey! I am Erika McIntyre,  I grew up moving a lot, but claim Tokyo as home, since there is where I was the longest. My mother is Japanese and father grew up in California. I'd like to say I get the best of both worlds. Some of my hobbies include: working with children, photography, music, basketball and EATING. I'm very good at eating. I'm always willing to try new foods, and learn about new cultures. I am majoring in Human Development at BYU, and graduate in December (2011). I decided to change to Human Development about 2 years ago because I love learning about people, more specifically children and how they develop in different domains. Ever since I can remember I always loved helping with my younger siblings, and as I got older I continued to  enjoy working with children! I worked at a preschool, summer camp for kids, a middle/high school--anywhere to work with children. I am excited to work here with Welcome Baby, and help families grow and learn! Hope to get to know you all better! Enjoy our blog!

Breiyon 

I was born in California, and since my birth I have move approx. 23 times.  I love diversity in food, people culture, art, music etc.  I love embracing new people and new ideas cause it is through such that our world becomes a better place.  I am excited to marry the LOVE of my life in November and excited to work toward our dreams of promoting health education in small villages in Africa.  Food is my most favorite, subject, hobby, interest etc.  I am a hairstylist and my favorite conversations always start with "Where is your favorite place to eat." (If any of you have a suggestion of a good place to eat anywhere in the world, do share. I will put it on my ever cherished must try sustenance list.)  If I could travel the world, tasting all the different dishes of food, eating as much as I want, of whatever I want, and NEVER have to exercise to keep the weight off, I would die happy.  I look forward to whatever interaction I will be blessed to have with you from maybe meeting you in person, or just being able to share a blog that will hopefully in someway enrich both our lives.
Holly 
I have lived in Utah all of my life, being raised mostly between Mapleton and Springville. I would consider myself a typical Utahan because I love doing anything outdoors, whether it's camping, fishing, hiking, or riding horses with my husband! The "indoor activities" I love to do are: sewing/crafting, reading, and watching any type of good movie. I have been attending UVU ever since I graduated high school in 2007 and it has been quite the journey! I am happy to say that I will be finally graduating with a Bachelor's degree in the Family Studies program at the end of the semester! YAY! After graduation, I hope to be able to spend more time with family and go on to become a Child Life Specialist through the University of Utah. As of right now, I am very excited to be expanding my skills and knowledge in working with the Welcome Baby Program at United Way! 
Stacey 
I am currently attending UVU and graduate in December!  It's been a long journey, but I'm so excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I'm looking forward to getting back in my hobbies after my upcoming wedding in October and graduation.  I enjoy cooking, being outside, photographing, and working on art projects.  I grew up in a household full of girls and being the oldest, I developed a love for children.  Welcome Baby has been a great opportunity for me to advocate for healthy families, help our community grow stronger, and learn more about child development!  Ultimately, I would love to work with teens who struggle with eating disorders and help promote positive body image and healthy life styles.

Chantel
My name is Chantel Hill and for the past four years, I have been studying Health Science with emphasis in Community and Worksite Wellness at BYU-Idaho.  I am currently working as an intern for Help Me Grow and Welcome baby.  I enjoy studying Science and Math but also wanted to work with people.   I love to talk with friends and go on walks.  I enjoy horseback riding, cake decorating, bicycling and old movies.   I grew up in Hollister California but recently moved to Provo Utah.  In High School I was on the Swim Team and water polo team.  I miss the ocean in California but love the many biking trails, beautiful parks, and hiking areas around here.
 

Friday, August 12, 2011

Community Donations

This has been a great summer!  We've had some great family events, lots of fun free community events, and many great blog posts.  In addition, we've had many great success stories from our volunteers about the many families visited in Utah County.

Although we like to focus on educational resources for parents, fun craft ideas, and local events on this blog, we'd like to take a minute and let you know what goes behind the scenes of our program and thank the many people who make this program run.

Welcome Baby is a home visitation program that focuses on parent education, community support, and early childhood literacy.  Our trained volunteers go into the homes of many first time families in Utah County and bring packets containing a receiving blanket, baby book, hat, and socks.  In addition, the family receives a wonderful reference book called "Keeping Your Baby Healthy" and other great information.

All of the materials that go in our packets are generously donated by local religious groups, through community drives, and from our Welcome Baby volunteers.  Without your donations, we could not put together these amazing packets to give to our families.  Recently, a local LDS ward had an activity and put together 85 new packets for us.  Each packet had a cute blanket and a brand new baby book.  When these packets were delivered to our office, we were overwhelmed by the love these ladies put into each packet.  It is easy to get into the daily mundane office tasks, but this surprise donation made us all stop and look at the bigger pictures of what Welcome Baby is truly about. Our goal is to help the many new mothers in our community feel the love and support of their neighbors, community, and other mothers.  Through these social connections, they can be given the resources to help them with basic questions or help them handle more difficult concerns.   As we looked through these packets, we were reminded of our goal and the love for all the families and new babies we visit.  Welcome Baby would like to thank this wonderful group of women who took time and resources to make these beautiful packets! We couldn't do it without your support.


Other surprise donations have come in as well.  Each time a donation is made, we are overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of our community members. Not only do we receive donated blankets and burp cloths, but many times there are hours of hand stitched work and a little love put into the items donated.  Thank you!

Last but not least, we had a sweet lady donate to our early childhood literacy program and from her donation we were able to purchase 40 NEW books!  Welcome Baby encourages mothers and fathers to read to their children from the start.  Not only does that encourage parent/child bonding, but it instills a love for reading and learning from a young age!

We are so grateful for the many people who have donated to our program and for the continued support we receive.  Thank you!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Women In Philanthropy

Welcome Baby has many wonderful community supporters. One organization we'd like to spotlight that has always been a great supporter of our program is Women in Philanthropy.  Recently they hosted a wonderful fundraiser luncheon to help us raise money to purchase children books to support our goal of early childhood literacy.

Women in Philanthropy's mission is to "Build an influential force of women philanthropists who develop financial resources, unite in service and stand as advocates for programs, initiatives and community affairs that benefit women and children in Utah County."  We are very fortunate in Utah County to have such a wonderful group of women advocating and actively participating in making Utah County a stronger community.


From their generous donations they were able to raise about $800 and from that money we will be able to purchase about 500 books.  Those books will go into the homes of the families our trained volunteers visit and to the families who attend our free parenting classes.  We are so grateful for their support and generous donations.

Helping our children love reading and assisting them to read is a priceless gift not only for our children, but for our community. Stephanie Anderson, our Early Childhood Literacy Specialist, spoke about the importance of reading to our children. She read a wonderful book, King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood and captivated the whole audience with her own love for reading.  She quoted Tony Steed by saying, "Listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension."  So one of our goals at Welcome Baby is to get books into the homes of our families here in Utah County and encourage reading as a means of parent/child bonding and reading development.


Again, we would like to thank Women in Philanthropy for their support!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Summer Q&A

For many families, this has been a busy week with school ending and summer starting. But we are excited for a fun packed summer!  We will be highlighting many of the free community events and activities.  We'll also be spotlighting some of our fun craft ideas to do with your children.  So make sure to check in often to see what's going on in your community!

 In addition to the fun ideas we'll be posting, we also wanted to offer other resources.  In our office located in Downtown Provo, we have an in-house Nurse Practitioner and an Early Childhood Literacy Specialist. Both of these ladies have years of experience!  Besides their own families, they've both worked in their respective fields teaching and caring for children for many years.  We are so lucky to have these ladies at our disposal!  


If you ever have any questions, concerns, or would like to see a certain topic discussed, please let us know!  We are here to help you and want to make sure we address the topics that are of interest to you. 
Please email any questions to Welcome Baby and we will ask our specialists.  

We look forward to hearing from you!

Enjoy the Sun!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Volunteering for Welcome Baby

Here are some wonderful ways to volunteer for the Welcome Baby Program.

Home Visitor: As a home visitor, you will be asked to contribute 4 hours a month for eight months. During this time, you will be visiting 1-3 families/months and giving them information about child development, activities they can be doing with their child, and other health issues all parents should know about. You will be asked to attend a training in-service once a quarter (they are offered monthly). Here, you will get to know about the community resources in the area that you can then pass on to your families.


Donations: We like to give each of the new families a quilt or receiving blanket to show them how much we care for them. We also like to give them any baby items that we have available. All of these items are donated from the community. We would love a donation from you. You can donate to us knowing that the items will go to families in need.

For more information about volunteering for Welcome Baby, please visit our website.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Home Visits

One of the resources that Welcome Baby offers is a Home Visitation program. As a family in our program, you will have the opportunity to have one of our volunteers come to your home once per month to give you important information about your child's physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development. Because a baby changes so much in a short amount of time, having a visitor come each month will help you know what you should be looking for in your child during the month to come.

A home visit usually lasts between 30-45 minutes. We will begin by asking how things have been going through the transition to parenthood. This includes addressing any concerns you have, questions that may come up, or resources you want to know about. Then, we have a lesson prepared that discusses the changes your child may go through in the next month and an activity you can do with your child to encourage proper development.

Parents have expressed how wonderful it is to have a home visitor. In a short amount of time, the visitor and the parents can become close friends. Some of our families have been with us for a number of years with the same visitor. For more information about our home visitor program, and to sign up to have a home visitor come to your home, please visit our website.