The 16th annual TODAY'S TMJ4 "Community Baby Shower" is coming up Friday. Your donations help eight local agencies, help families. Susan Kim discussed one of the agencies that benefit, The Women's Center' in Waukesha.
The Women's Center in Waukesha helps woman and children who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The agency provides counseling and shelter to help families get back on their feet.
- SPECIAL SECTION: 16th Annual Community Baby Shower
When families arrive at the shelter, they are often in crisis situations. Counselors say the items from the "Community Baby Shower" last year, lasted from seven to nine months.
Jessi Trauth is the director of shelter services for The Women's Center. She says being able to provide families with diapers and formula allow counselors "to focus on the safety components of the client, once we know their basic needs are cared for."
The agency also has what it calls the "free shelf," which is a shelf of supplies that walk-ins can take, to help make their paycheck stretch a little further. The shelves contain many items, including donations from the TODAY'S TMJ4 Community Baby Shower.
The Women's Center also has items on hand in its "transitional living area" which is a safe place for women and children to live for a short time, to escape an abusive situation. The agency says they always have a need for larger sized diapers.
"Often times, when children are in crisis or trauma, they do regress in some of their behaviors, especially the skills they just learned or mastered," Trauth said.
In addition to the larger sized diapers, The Women's Center says it can always use formula and baby toys.
The TODAY'S TMJ4 Community Baby Shower is all day Friday. You can donate items at any local Sentry Food store.
