New moms get a helping hand
December 12, 2024 at 12:55 a.m.
Beverly Sherrid has seen firsthand the struggles immigrants in the Village of Port Chester have.
“We initially started as a group to accompany people to their court dates, but we’ve been looking at ways to further enrich people’s lives in the Village,” she said of the group she chairs, Port Chester Immigrant Defense.
This year, the group has hosted an adult civics course and a “Meet the Chief” event, where residents were invited to connect with Port Chester Police Chief Christopher Rosabella.
“We want people to see the police department as a resource, not as a faceless group who locks people up,” she explained. “And we’ve been working on doing more of these kinds of events.”
So, when Pastor Hilario Albert, who previously served at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, approached the group with the idea to host a community baby shower, they jumped at the chance.
Port Chester Immigrant Defense Chairwoman Beverly Sherrid speaks on the resources available to the community as Pastor Hilario Albert, formerly of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, prepares to translate.By David Tapia
“It was an event that was previously organized by several churches and synagogues in the area,” Sherrid said. “But it went away because of the COVID pandemic.”
The event brought new and expecting parents to the Don Bosco Community Center at 22 Don Bosco Pl. on Saturday, Dec. 7, to receive care packages and information about local resources.
“It was very important to us to have speakers at the event,” the chairwoman said. “We didn’t want to just be a giveaway event, though there is a significant need for these items. We wanted to provide them with useful information.”
Marilyn Pacheco, the director of marketing and community relations at Open Door Family Medical Center, spoke on pre-natal and maternity care services offered at the facility.
Additionally, Port Chester police officers demonstrated the importance of car seat safety for young children and 5 Steps to Five head teacher Yesenia Sanchez emphasized the importance of early childhood education.
“It was all information we felt would be greatly appreciated by the people who need support,” Sherrid said.
To reach those who would benefit most from the event, Port Chester Immigrant Defense placed flyers in areas they felt would be most visible.
“We circulated our flyers by posting them in areas like food pantries and laundromats,” she said. “We worked with Meals on Main Street to include them on their trucks and in packages sent out to homes.”
It included a QR code to a registration form, which included a section to request specific clothing and diaper sizes. By the end of the month-long enrollment period, 43 residents had signed up.
Port Chester Police Officers Thomas Sorbella and Christian Coyt speak on the importance of using car seats and remind attendees they can call the police department for assistance installing them.By David Tapia
The data collected was used to create an Amazon wish list, which was distributed to the local community groups that sponsored the event.
“Our religious partners, Don Bosco, Greenwich Hospital and Open Door, distributed that list out to their communities, and everything was purchased,” Sherrid said. “The person who was receiving all the donations had stacks of boxes at their house. We spent a full day organizing everything into care packages.”
Though not all those who registered were in attendance, 10 walk-ins were able to claim the leftover baby supplies.
“At the end of the day, I’m very glad we did hold this event,” Sherrid said, reflecting on the experience. “There were times when I was worried how we were going to make it happen, but as it came together, I could see it was going very well. The people who came looked very happy and thanked us as they left.”
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