I wanted to talk a little bit about other ways that you can help babies and families by volunteering with the March of Dimes.

In 1996, while attending college, I had the opportunity to work with a local organization charged to help women of childbearing age learn about prenatal care and gain access to health care. I was young and completely self-absorbed, but even then I knew that there are far too many women in the United States- the world- without the means or information to provide their babies with the best start possible.

As an adult, I never imagined that I would experience pregnancy loss after 12 weeks. I never imagined that losing a baby to pre-term labor would be something that I would endure. But when my family faced our greatest pain, we did so with the support of the March of Dimes- as Heather’s family is doing now.

In March of 2003,  I recommitted myself to working with the March of Dimes. Apart from fundraising and participating in  March for Babies, I decided that I would volunteer as well because donating a few bucks and one day was not enough. I  volunteered in my state to make sure that March of Dimes has all the support it needs to do what they do best: help fight the causes of premature birth. I talked to women at clinics about the importance of prenatal care; I made calls to raise money and I even created flyers, banners, and other marketing materials to draw attention to the plight of premature babies.

With that in mind, please note that April 19-25 is National Volunteer Week and I urge you all, to take a few hours a… Continue reading →