COVID-19 brings new challenges to new parents, aside from sleep deprivation and diapers.
Depending on pandemic restrictions, parents are not always permitted to have a support person in the hospital during delivery, or have visitors come to their home to help with childcare.
Sackville-based Emily Wheaton is starting a nonprofit to help provide families with child-rearing supplies.
Wheaton started “Mamas Helping Mamas” just earlier this month, after delivering strollers, diapers, and clothing for little ones for families in need over the holidays.
She crammed her Mazda SUV to the brim with toys and onesies, and yet still has plenty of donated items to give away.
As a mother of three children under the age of 10, Wheaton says she understands how stressful it can be for parents, especially during the pandemic.
Wheaton became a mother when she was 19, and wants to make sure that other young parents receive the help and supplies they need.
Emily Wheaton: Mamas Helping Mamas, I mean, I know Mamas is in the title, but it really is for families. It could be a single mom or single parent or whatever the case may be. It doesn’t have to just be a mom, and is mainly for babies and children of all ages. I really would like to target helping mothers as well. So I guess we’re looking for any items related to babies, children, mothers starting out. Whether you’re a new parent, or you have multiple children, and you’re having a really hard time coming up with the funds to buy a new car seat or buy a stroller. Clothes are expensive, especially kids, they go through clothes so quickly, they’re growing out of sizes. I have three kids myself, and I know how fast they grow. So I feel like providing this opportunity, people can use it as a resource.
EW: I know this past year has been really hard on a lot of people, especially financially. It’s been a roller coaster. I know, just in our case, my husband’s been laid off. He’s working now, but he was laid off for most of the year, he’s in the trades. I know a lot of people either lost their jobs, or they were on unemployment. So I feel like there’s really a need to help others, especially at this time. I know even before [the pandemic] there’s still so many families living in poverty, who could use help.
EW: Another reason why this is something that’s so important to me, is because I started out as a teen mom. I’m not saying that anyone who struggles was a teen mom, I know there’s lots of people who aren’t, but I can empathize with these people who are struggling because I was in the same boat, maybe not to certain extents of some people. But, we all go through our struggles. I had my first son who just turned seven, right after Christmas. I had him when I was 19 years old, and my husband was 18. So we were really young, and didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. It was a hard time, he just graduated high school. We didn’t have any post-secondary education, we had no idea what we were doing, we didn’t have our own place. It was really hard, and if it weren’t for the support of our families, I don’t know how we would have made it. I know a lot of people don’t have close family members, or people who can help them to the extent that our families were able to help us.
Wheaton is actively looking for families in need, as her basement is overflowing with donations.
Folks with supplies or folks who need them are welcome to send a Facebook message to “Mamas Helping Mamas” to arrange drop-off.