Community Bridge receives over $3,000 worth of baby items

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — After putting out a call on Facebook for donations, Community Bridge received over $3,000 worth of baby items from Home Hardware.

Kezia Menzies, the program coordinator for Baby’s Best Chance, says the local Home Hardware store has been a supporter for quite a while.

“So actually, while it was going on for the past two weeks, I had no idea. Then I just got a surprise call from Shelley at Home Hardware saying that they had raised over $2,000,” Menzies said.

“They went out and bought a bunch of stuff that we needed, and we picked it up this week.”

Shelley Gallinger, the owner of the local Home Hardware, said staff members saw the post and decided to do a fundraiser through the till, asking people to donate.

“Then the cashiers got a little competitive amongst each other and started checking their totals daily, and in the end, they were able to raise over $2,200,” Gallinger said.

Home Hardware employees Tyneesha and Wendy were the top fundraisers.

On top of what has already been donated, the Home Hardware team is waiting for more baby wipes and ten more cases of diapers to arrive.

“By the time it was all totalled, what was raised at the till and what was added onto the donation was over $3,000,” Gallinger said.

Menzies said Community Bridge runs the Baby’s Best Chance program, available to pregnant and postnatal individuals and their supporters.

“We learn about pregnancy, including nutrition, how to make healthy choices for yourself and baby,” Menzies explained.

“We prepare for birth, post-delivery education, newborn care and access to support during the pregnancy and postnatal journey.”

The program is free for those seeking support until the infant is six months old.

Other fundraisers Community Bridge does for the Baby’s Best Chance program are the diaper drive in the fall and gift wrapping before Christmas.

For more information, visit Baby’s Best Chance FSJ on Facebook.