As a requirement for a Northeast Wisconsin Technical College communications class, New Londoners Katie Conradt and Sandy Baumgartner are inviting the public to attend a Pay It Forward baby shower to benefit infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “We discussed our Pay It Forward assignment and realized that both our families have had to rely on the NICU at one time or another,” said Conradt. “Now we have created a way to give back and help parents going through this difficult time.”
The partners have the typical baby shower planned, with Bingo and other games, and they have a craft project anyone can help with — some crafty cards that the NICU staff can give to parents of premature infants.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, Feb. 20 if you plan to attend. The shower starts at 1 p.m. at the VFW Hall, 1900 Division St. in New London.
The following would be greatly appreciated by NICU families of newborns to ease their stress and help them focus on their newborn: Gas cards, restaurant meal cards, diapers (premie, newborn or size 1), premie or newborn sleepers with snaps, receiving blankets, toys (preferably plastic so they can be sanitized daily), magazines or crossword books for parents, baby wipes, disposable cameras, mobiles (plastic preferred), plastic or cardboard children’s books, lullabye CDs.
“It will be fun to give the NICU this gift of people caring and noticing what great work they do,” said Baumgartner.