Bringing awareness to the maternal health crisis in our country is a top priority for many. Black women, according to statistics, are approximately three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to white women. Entertainers Ciara and Kelly Rowland have been very vocal about their charge to help bridge the gap and bring about awareness to this growing concern. Recently, the duo teamed up with the Baby2Baby nonprofit organization to host a volunteer event to combat the maternal health crisis.
During the event, Ciara, Rowland, and a host of other famous celebrity faces turned out in full to help the Baby2Baby crew assemble Maternal Health and Newborn Supply Kits for new mothers. These kits will be delivered to moms immediately after giving birth at hospitals in New York City.
The Maternal Health and Newborn Supply Kits contain items vital necessities for both mother and newborn which include: diapers, hygiene products, breastfeeding supplies, postpartum care items, and educational resources.
“Today, I was proud to join @Baby2Baby in New York to support their initiative to combat the maternal health crisis in partnership with @hhsgov. This is deeply personal to me as Black mothers are more than 3 to 4 times more likely to die during and after childbirth,” the former Destiny’s Child member and mother-of-two captioned a carousel of various images related to the event and to the mission of Baby2Baby on Instagram.
“Baby2Baby’s Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits help to improve mothers’ mental health – a leading cause of maternal mortality – by providing the basic essentials they need during the most critical time. Grateful to work with Baby2Baby today and always,” Rowland concluded.
Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof also shared some insight on the importance of ensuring that mothers in need have someone that they can depend on to help them take care of their maternal health.
“We couldn’t be more proud to bring Baby2Baby’s Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits to New York, our second largest footprint where we serve 200,000 children every year,” the Co-CEOs shared.
“The goal of the program is to address the mental health struggles of new mothers who cannot afford the critical items their newborns desperately need. We are thrilled to distribute the kits directly to New York hospitals starting tomorrow for moms and babies who deserve our support.”
If you are interested in finding out more about Baby2Baby and their Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits, or would like to join Ciara and Rowland in their efforts to help, click here.
Photo: Baby2Baby Instagram; Kelly Rowland Instagram
