Sheboygan County launches countywide baby shower donation drive for families

Formula, diapers and clothing for newborns through 4T are at the center of Sheboygan County’s countywide Community Baby Shower, a monthlong donation drive that will run from May 2 through May 31 and turn a familiar celebration into a practical supply line for families with young children.

The effort is organized by the Sheboygan County Community Partnership for Children, a community impact initiative of United Way of Sheboygan County that works to make sure parents and families have the supports and services they need so children are safe, healthy, reaching developmental milestones on time and ready for kindergarten. Donations will be distributed through Anchor of Hope, BabyCare, Kindred Heart Families, Mary’s Room and WIC, giving the drive a built-in delivery system rather than a single event-day drop.

The collection list is aimed at the most basic needs. Organizers are asking for formula, diapers in all sizes, board books, clothing from newborn to 4T and other baby essentials. There are 14 drop-off sites spread across the county, including four Piggly Wiggly stores, three Oostburg State Bank locations and the Sheboygan Post Office, along with other community points that make it easier for residents to give without going far out of their way.

That wide footprint matters because the need is ongoing. Sheboygan County Food Bank directs baby-related donations such as food, formula, diapers, books, toys, clothing and other baby supplies to BabyCare, one of the agencies receiving items from the drive. BabyCare says it distributes nearly 20,000 diapers each month and is one of eight nationally recognized diaper banks in Wisconsin, serving a need that affects one in three families struggling with diapers.

WIC’s role in the partner network adds another layer of support for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children under 5, connecting the drive to nutrition support, education and referrals. Taken together, the countywide baby shower is less a symbolic fundraiser than a coordinated response to the cost of getting a newborn off to a stable start, using a friendly format to move essential supplies into the hands of families who need them most.