JustServe Volunteers Support MOMS Baby Shower in Dallas, Texas

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By Mary Richards, Church News

As the two-year MOMS Tour travels around the United States, JustServe volunteers are helping before, during and after the community baby showers.

MOMS stands for Maternal Outcomes Matter Showers. The organizers are working to reach new and expectant mothers in communities with high maternal and infant mortality rates — including Black, American Indian and Alaska Native women.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is supporting the organizers, which include A Chance to Learn and CocoLife.Black. New and expectant mothers are connected to local resources, doulas, education and supplies such as strollers, car seats and diapers.

On Saturday, September 30, the baby shower was held in Dallas, Texas, with more than 300 expectant and new moms in attendance.

Volunteers signed up to help on JustServe — a website and app where organizations post their volunteer needs.

Kerri Zimmerman, assistant director for JustServe in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said JustServe was honored to be invited to support and participate.

“The impact was particularly profound when witnessing immediate needs being met, such as a newborn baby being placed in a safe and age-appropriate stroller or a mother discovering a resource she didn’t even know was available,” she said.

Volunteers helped pack goodie bags with wipes, resources and supplies. Others helped pass out diapers and raffle prizes, such as strollers and maternity pillows.

They also helped with registration, in the healthy kitchen area and in a special kids corner where siblings could color or craft.

Church News Volunteers share joy of helping at community baby showers around the U.S.

“It was wonderful to see so many women have the opportunity to connect with organizations who offer valuable support and services to moms and their families,” Zimmerman said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. American Indian and Alaska Native women are twice as likely to die than white women, and 80% of pregnancy-related deaths were determined preventable.

And the United States Department of Health and Human Services has said non-Hispanic Black/African-American infants are almost four times as likely to die from complications related to low birthweight as compared to non-Hispanic white infants. Their mothers were twice as likely to receive late or no prenatal care.

LaToyia Dennis, MOMS Tour manager and founder of A Chance to Learn, faced life-threatening challenges in her pregnancies and numerous miscarriages.

“I want to ensure that I serve as an advocate for other moms of color as they matriculate through their journey,” Dennis said. “It’s my pleasure to serve as the fiscal agent and lived experience on the MOMS Tour.”

Booths gave expectant parents information on infant first aid, postpartum signs, finding a doula, prenatal care and Medicaid.

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After the event in Dallas, Zimmerman said “I am grateful for the volunteers who helped make it a great event and for relationships made with our new friends.”

After the first citywide baby shower in Chicago, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said: “These opportunities to work with our friends in government and community are so important for us to touch the lives of [individuals]. We look at things globally, but we must also look at the needs of the one.”

As the MOMS Tour continues around the United States in coming months, there will be more efforts for JustServe volunteers in other cities to help with setting up, running the event and cleaning up afterward. Needs for donations are also posted on www.justserve.org/themomstour.

See below for more pictures from the event.

Sharisa Lewis, Dallas-Fort Worth metro media assistant director for the Church, contributed to this report.