Cambridge baby shower celebrates PATCH families, welcomes expectant parents
Cambridge’s 10th annual community baby shower tied PATCH families to a bigger support network, with donations, resources, games and giveaways at Delmarva Community Services.
The 10th annual Community Baby Shower in Cambridge put the PATCH program front and center, turning a familiar celebration into a practical support event for parents who need it most. Held Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Delmarva Community Services Building, 2450 Cambridge Beltway, the gathering celebrated families who completed PATCH, short for Pregnancy & Tobacco Cessation Help, and welcomed expectant parents into a room built around connection, resources, games and giveaways.
The event was promoted as a donation request, with community partners and local businesses invited to take part. Ashyrra Dotson, listed as president and CEO and the contact person for the event, was the point of contact for participation. That framing made the shower bigger than a social stop. It was a call for the community to help underwrite a milestone moment for parents entering one of the most expensive stages of family life.
PATCH gives the event its real weight. Maryland’s Department of Health says the program was created to address smoking during pregnancy in rural jurisdictions that have historically had higher tobacco use during pregnancy rates than the state average, including Dorchester County. The state also says its Tobacco Quitline is a free phone, web and text-message service for Maryland residents age 13 and older, and pregnant participants may qualify for a specialized incentive program with gift cards while supplies last.
That public-health backdrop matters because smoking during pregnancy remains an established risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and health issues for newborns later in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also reports that the percentage of mothers who smoked during pregnancy declined in all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 2016 to 2021, which underscores why cessation-focused outreach still has a clear place in maternal health.
Maryland’s PATCH effort traces back to 2014, when then-Health Secretary Joshua M. Sharfstein raised concerns about smoking during pregnancy and low participation in cessation programs and quitline services. More than a decade later, the Cambridge baby shower showed how that work can be translated into something families can feel immediately: a welcoming space, practical support and a local network ready to show up.
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