St. Louis Local Volunteer Opportunities!

For those of you who live local to the St. Louis area there is a volunteer organization looking for your assistance. Have you heard of "Newborns in Need"? Newborns in Need helps out families with babies who were born sick, premature and even the families of babies who do not make it. This charity specifically helps out newborn babies.

There is a chapter of NIN opening in the Eastern St. Louis area. The chapter will hold monthly meetings, put out press releases, advertisements, fliers, etc. to get their name out there and collect donations, drop off donations at local shelters, hospitals, women's homes, manage a chapter bank account for donations, put out a monthly newsletter to NIN, and give monthly reports to NIN of accomplishments for that month. Board members and volunteers will be in charge of collecting donations, delivering them and storing them at their homes until ready for delivery.

As you will see, when you look at the website, the main thing NIN does is sew tiny outfits for preemie babies, including hats, booties, etc. and they also make burial outfits out of wedding dresses for the babies that don't make it. It is a sad thought, but we aren't all blessed with healthy babies and there are a lot of families and newborns that need our help. You don't have to know how to sew to be a part of all this. There is much help needed in collecting donations, delivering packages, storing packages, purchasing much needed items, advertising, writing newsletters, and organizing meetings and press releases.

Since the chapter is just starting up, there are several offices open that need to be filled in order to get recognition from the overall organization and for the chapter to activate:

• Secretary: This individual would be responsible for keeping meeting notes which will occur once a month. This person will also be responsible to other documents that will need to be organized or submitted, etc.
• Treasurer: This individual would be responsible for the monies received for the organization and all other funds related issues, etc.
• Management Coordinator: This individual will coordinate all of the meetings/drop offs/pick-ups and get updated information to the volunteers, etc.
• General Volunteer: These individuals donate any free time or talents that they are willing, to help where ever needed.
• Donations: In addition to the clothing that NIN provides, they also need donations of anything and everything a newborn baby could use, clothes, diapers, formula, wipes, bottles, etc. They also collect monetary donations to buy these supplies and the fabric and sewing supplies needed for making the blankets/outfits, etc. Many of these things are taken to women and children shelters and crisis nurseries. Crisis nurseries are 24 hour childcare facilities, that charge nothing and are open for parents to drop off their children when they can't care for them in a crisis.

Now you have the information, does this interest you? If your answer to that question is "YES!" Please email me at animal_doc2b@yahoo.com and let me know how you would be interested in contributing to this organization. Remember, any volunteer time/money you attribute to organizations like this is tax deductable!