Living Mercy
Christ Child Society volunteers ‘blanket’ newborns with love
October 10, 2024
A way of giving a baby a hug from someone who cares.
That’s how Barbara Greene describes her four-year ministry with the Christ Child Society where she uses her seamstress skills to spread love and hope to families in need.
She and more than 50 other women – members of the organization’s Omaha chapter – create blankets that are included in more than 2,200 packages of baby necessities (layettes) given annually to needy mothers of newborns.
Greene, a member of the Omaha chapter’s board and Christ the King Parish in Omaha, sees the sewing ministry as a way to live out her faith as a Christian and show mothers in need that there are people who care. “It’s what Christ calls us to do,” she said.
“I once had a friend who, while we were stocking shelves for a local Omaha pantry, said, ‘It is only through the grace of God that your children were born to you and another child was born in need.’ I do the work of Christ Child Society remembering this fact and knowing if we can help one woman in need, it may change the trajectory of their child’s life.”
Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1887 by Servant of God Mary Virginia Merrick, Christ Child Society has been providing layettes to new and expectant mothers since its beginning, and baby blankets have always been a part of the package, said Shannon Herink, Omaha director of development and programs.
Omaha’s chapter, formed in 1906, provides layettes that include diapers, clothing, sleepers, pacifiers, digital thermometers, hooded towels, washcloths and other essential infant care items, along with handmade flannel blankets, she said.
To produce the blankets, volunteers obtain flannel material in bulk, cut and sew the top and bottom portions together, sew the edges and tie the layers together by hand.
The layettes are assembled in backpacks by area Catholic high school students and members of other organizations. They are distributed by 65 social service agencies in Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln, Fremont and Sioux City, along with area hospitals.
For Lynette Dvorak, also from Christ the King Parish, the sewing ministry has been a 50-year commitment to a ministry that has long been a part of the Omaha chapter’s work.
“It’s been nice to carry this tradition on,” Dvorak said. “We’re doing a service to these young mothers who don’t have anything, to give them a start.”
“I think it’s important to help your fellow man, and this is just a very small piece of it,” she said.
Dvorak takes satisfaction in knowing her work is having a direct impact on young mothers and their babies.
“It makes me feel good that I’m helping someone,” she said. “At church some years ago, I happened to see one of our blankets on a baby. I was happy to see they’re getting used, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Herink said she is extremely grateful for the women who give their time to meet this need and their dedication to the organization.
“And, it’s my prayer that women who are experiencing pregnancies and might be fearful of what is to come, that they are offered a sense of hope and comfort by receiving the handmade blankets and the items in the layettes … and that they feel encouragement and love from their community,” Herink said.
In addition to the layettes, Christ Child Society also provides car seats, literacy programs and academic scholarships to mothers in need. Catholic women interested in helping or anyone wishing to donate can email omaha@nationalchristchild.org.
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