ICS provides food, formula, and diapers

In 1984, a Sunday School Class at Westminster Presbyterian Church was searching for a service project when they decided they wanted to assist parents who struggled to provide their little ones with essential items. These women created a small diaper and formula pantry, and Infant Crisis Services was born.

Throughout the years, Infant Crisis Services called many places home, but in 2009, The Donald W. Reynolds Center on NE 42nd and Lincoln became the permanent location of central Oklahoma’s only food and diaper pantry serving infants and tod- dlers. Today, Infant Crisis Services continues to provide infants and toddlers with life-sustaining food, formula, and diapers because no baby should go hungry.

Little ones under 4years-old can visit the main office or the BabyMobiles four times per calendar year. Each time, they receive a week’s worth of diapers and food or formula. The agency also provides other essentials like wipes, bottles, clothing, books and car seats based on availability.

With one in four Oklahoma babies currently being born below the poverty line, the items provided by

Infant Crisis Services are essential to their brain development. By distributing these essentials, Infant Crisis can ensure that babies and toddlers across the state have full tummies, dry diapers, and growing brains.

Even one missed meal can have lifelong, detrimental impacts on a baby’s cognitive and behavioral development. Infant Crisis Services is committed to closing the gaps created by poverty and malnutrition so that all Oklahoma babies can have a prosperous future.

Today, the agency serves nearly 2,000 babies and toddlers every month. In

Dear Wise Elder: I enjoy reading your responses every week from a wise someone who has “been there, done that.” Today I wanted to share a suggestion with you. I am a mother of college age children. Recently my friend and I were searching for baking classes. In the conversation my friend mentioned that her mother lives alone nearby and is a master baker. We placed a call to her and the date was set for an intergenerational baking class. It was a great day of scratch baking that would have made the Pioneer Woman proud. Her mom the past year, 21,036 little ones received essentials from Infant Crisis Services across 26 Oklahoma counties. Throughout its lifetime, Infant Crisis Services has provided a week’s worth of food and diapers over 350,000 times to families from all walks of life.

The organization operates under the leadership of Executive Director and CoFounder Miki Farris, who has grown the agency to 27 staff members with a $3.7 million annual budget.

This year, Infant Crisis Services celebrates 39 years of serving babies and toddlers and 10 years of the unique BabyMobile program. Created as a the baker had all the needed supplies and was very exacting in her methods. My friend’s mom was proud to be of use, and we now have new skills that our whole family appreciates.

Dear Reader: Bingo! Good for you! Everyone wants to help someone else. Tell all your friends to look for other mature adults in your neighborhood. You’ll gain a friend and knowledge in addition to being a blessing.

— Courtesy VillagesOKC, www.VillagesOKC.org

(405) 990 6637 response to the transportation barrier that so many clients faced, the BabyMobiles take food, formula, and diapers on the road to over 50 partner locations across the state.

As Infant Crisis Services continues to grow and meet the needs of Oklahoma’s babies and toddlers, there are many ways for community members to make an impact. The agency offers opportunities for volunteer groups, community drives, and hosts multiple events throughout the year. To learn more about volunteering or making a monetary or in-kind donation, please visit www.infantcrisis.org.

You can have your ad here! $20 a week. Call (405) 755-3311 for details.

Founders Day honors community leaders