Mission Trail Baptist honors dedicated volunteers helping newborns, new moms in need

Support program through Nest Women’s Services celebrates one year of success

(Left to right) John Isaac, M.D., neonatologist and NICU Director at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital’s Nest Women’s Services (MTBH); Lemelle Taylor, staff chaplain at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital; and Katy Ivey, director of pastoral care at Mission Trail, thank volunteers at the one-year anniversary event March 21 at MTBH of the program that helps new moms and families in need of baby supplies.

(San Antonio, TX) ¬¬– Staff of Mission Trail Baptist Hospital brought local church parishioners, ministers, church leaders and representatives from other non-profit organization together to celebrate their one-year milestone of serving newborns and new mothers and families in need. Through a new support program at the hospital’s Nest Women’s Services department, volunteers have assisted more than 60 families of newborns delivered at the hospital but who had little to no supplies for a healthy start to life.

Hospital staff saw many new moms and families who didn’t have any of the basic resources -- such as diapers, formula, soap, bottles, etc. Mission Trail Baptist Hospital’s Staff Chaplain Lemelle Taylor reached out to local churches and nonprofits who answered the call. Volunteers there sprung into action and quickly brought hundreds of diapers, bottles, blankets, formula, baby foods, baby wipes, clothing and so much more to many very grateful new moms and families at the hospital. Approximately $7,000 in supplies for newborns has been donated over the course of the program’s first year.

The hospital celebrated one year of the program’s success at a morning gathering March 21 of staff, church volunteers and non-profit representatives to say thank you for helping newborns in need on the city’s south side. The program has grown to include a network of volunteers from nearly 40 churches and non-profit organizations in and around San Antonio who gather and provide baby supplies to those in need.

A volunteer from a local church brings much-needed baby items to donate to a new mom and newborn in need at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital’s Nest Women’s Services Department.

When hospital social workers identify a mother or family in need in their Nest Women’s Services unit, a bag of necessities is available, thanks to generous volunteers who donate baby items and time to deliver the items to the babies and families in need at the hospital. Lemelle Taylor, staff chaplain at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, helped lead the development of the program. "More babies will continue to be born in our community and not all of them will have access to basic needs.

I'm humbled to see the success of the program and to see it grow in making such a positive difference in the lives of new mothers, families and their newborns. This is what community all about,” she said. “The volunteers never expect anything in return. They have no idea who they are helping and it does not matter what race, ethnicity, faith, gender, they are. It’s all anonymous. All they know is that there is a need and they are overwhelmed with the joy they have in meeting the needs. It is exciting to see community helping community. Often the gifts are just what the parents need to decrease their anxieties and fears. It restores faith in humanity,” Taylor said.

Anyone interested in helping with the program, should contact Katy Ivey, director of Pastoral Care at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital at 210-297-3751.