Over 80 expectant mothers in East Harris County were treated to a one-of-a-kind baby shower in a drive-thru event. Mothers were showered with baby clothes, fresh food, diapers, cleaning supplies and other goods to help meet their needs during the pandemic.
The collaborative effort was hosted by Church Planter Maria Bautista Vargas at Northshore Episcopal Church, Houston (a church plant within the Episcopal Diocese of Texas). Seven other non-profit organizations from the Houston metropolitan area, including United Healthcare and East Harris County Empowerment Council (EHCEC) joined forces on Friday, October 30, 2020 to help make this event a success.
“I was happily surprised by the team and support we received for this initiative,” said Bautista Vargas. “It was a huge blessing how everything came together.”
Together Northshore Episcopal, United Healthcare and EHCEC packed over 400 different outfits for the soon-to-be-born babies.
Prior to COVID-19, Connie Claros from United Healthcare explained that the healthcare organization held large baby showers in different parts of Harris County for low-income mothers enrolled in their program every quarter, but the pandemic put a halt to those events.
As Bautista Vargas and Claros started to accumulate large amounts of baby clothes at Northshore Episcopal, Claros decided to reach out to EHCEC to see how they could best host a safe, yet enjoyable baby shower for moms in need.
Their efforts resulted in putting together a successful event with plans on hosting another baby shower drive-thru during Easter season of 2021.
“We appreciate the opportunity Northshore Episcopal Church is giving us to host this event for the moms in the area,” said Claros.