You may know that the Pregnancy, Parenting, and Adoption Services (PPAS) program supports expecting parents as they choose to parent or to make an adoption plan for their baby. But once baby is born, what additional help is available? We in the Pregnancy, Parenting, and Adoption Services (PPAS) program are always looking for creative ways to support parents of infants and young children beyond pregnancy and childbirth. Three years ago, we came up with the idea to collect donated baby items and host events to give them away to families in need for free, and we called it Bundle Up Your Baby Bump.
Our most recent Bundle Up Your Baby Bump event was held at Trinity Elementary School in West Fargo on November 5th. Over 360 individuals arrived to choose from our huge selection of clothing and other items for their baby or young child. Most of these families had never been to a Bundle Up event before.
Over 230 volunteer hours were donated that weekend, mostly by CCND employees, friends, and family. This does not count the daily work our PPAS staff do in the months preceding the event. We receive donations often, and these items need to be washed, sorted, stored, and eventually transported to the Bundle Up venue and displayed—like a pop-up department store. We also purchase brand new baby items such as wipes to be given to each family. These and other purchases were made possible through the generous sponsorship of Total Balance 
Physical Therapy and Fitness. Add to this the work of our many supporters who lovingly donate their gently-used baby and child items, and you can see that this is a truly community-supported event. It takes a village, and we are so grateful for the support that came to us in many ways. Everyone who helped has a heart for kids and families in need. If you have gently used baby items that you would like to donate to a future Bundle Up event, please contact our PPAS department at 701-235-4457.