Welcome Baby Partnership

There are many refugee mothers in Tucson who don’t have their sisters or mothers or aunts or grandmas here to help and support them in their pregnancy.

They need help understanding the “system”, where to go for help, how to get needed supplies, but mostly they just need a friend.

Host a Baby Shower or party for the Tucson Refugee's

We recommend that a “Welcome Baby” project be done as a group, with women who are able to commit their friendship to this family for 3 months. If you do it as a group then it is actually less time consuming because you literally take turns making visits, or you assign responsibilities across different members.

We will also assign you a TRM representative who will mentor you through the process and answer questions as you go and provide support in your new cross-cultural relationship.

STEP 1: INTRO PRESENTATION
When invited, a TRM representative gives an introductory presentation to a church or small group of people who are considering reaching out to refugees.
Step 2: TRAINING
The first step in becoming a volunteer is to attend both a Refugee 101 Info Night and 201 Info Night. Every member of your group needs to attend the training if you are considering doing a Welcome Partnership. The training can also be viewed online, but is best done in community.
Step 3: VISIT
At least one person from your group goes with a TRM volunteer or agency representative and visits the mother-to-be and introduces yourself as a friendly face.

Get to know the mother, find out when baby is due, get a list of items needed, set the date for the shower, and figure out how to invite her friends.
Step 4: INVITE
Contact friends from church, your Sunday School class, and your family in order to surround the mother with lots of other women to love and support her.
Step 5: ORGANIZE
Welcome Partnership groups choose a point person to facilitate communication. The team schedules all the visits for three months. An e-mail or chain or a private Facebook group is established to aid in communication.
Step 6: PLAN
Please plan the shower at someone’s home. Our international friends are not often invited to an American home, and it is such an honor for them to be welcomed that way.

Consider going in together to meet at least one of the biggest and most immediate needs for the baby shower (car seat, stroller, or crib). Please no used items at the baby shower.
Step 7: WALKING ALONGSIDE
Encourage everyone in your group to make visits to this expecting mama before and after the baby shower. There are a number of others ways you can help her. You could accompany her to her doctor appointments, schedule a tour at the hospital, show her where the diaper banks are in Tucson, help her sign up for WIC, or just enjoy sipping a cup of tea together.
Step 8: MILESTONE PARTY
At the end of three months, the official partnership is over, and you could have a “milestone party” and celebrate. Ideally, your relationship with the family continues, but will be defined differently as the group graduates from “volunteer” status to “friend” status.