Over 65 area business and civic leaders, government representatives, and community leaders gathered at the Oronoque Country Club for the “Giving Babies a Healthy Start: A Congressional Dialogue” breakfast on Monday, December 14th. The breakfast was a culmination of a regional effort by the United Ways of Greater New Haven, Coastal Fairfield County, and Western CT to collect half a million diapers for lower income families, and to raise the awareness level of the challenges facing them in caring for their babies. The breakfast celebrated the success of the Healthy Baby Diaper Drives that took place across 33 towns throughout the months of September, October and November; recognized the many companies, civic organizations, schools, and municipalities that ran diaper drives; and announced the next steps to this important work.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Congressman Jim Himes spoke about the Congressional Baby Caucus and what is happening at a federal level to help struggling families.
"“I am so pleased with the good work being done by the United Way and their efforts to address one of the most basic needs of raising children,
an adequate supply of diapers. I have worked throughout my career as a legislator to ensure that children get off to a good start in life, with
access to health care, appropriate child development and good nutrition”, stated DeLauro. Ensuring these things will make children more likely to
be ready for school, and eventually, hopefully, to become productive, contributing adults,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “Too
many families are facing difficult financial choices in the face of our economic crisis this winter, and I believe that we in Congress need to focus
in on what we are doing to help America’s infants and toddlers right now.”
Speakers of the morning included Michael Crowe, COO, Global Operations for Covidien, who whose company collected over 60,000 diapers; Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Co-Chairs Irene Cornish, Interim Superintendent, Stratford Public Schools and Janice Gruendel, Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education; Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman Jim Himes; The Diaper Bank President and Founder Joanne Goldblum, and Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq., President & CEO of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County.
