GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Natasha Tupper thinks new and expecting mothers have enough on their minds without having to worry about additional things to pay for.
“Oh my gosh, babies are expensive,” said Tupper. “My baby is 12 now, and she’s exponentially more expensive.”
As the first lady of New Faith Temple Church in Grand Rapids and the leader of its Community Development Corporation, Tupper says her congregation recognizes the need of expecting mothers, especially those in low-income families.
“We know that it can be challenging. And so as a community, we feel it’s important to meet the needs of our community,” she says.
To help, the church hosted a community baby shower on Monday night, giving away nearly $10,000 worth of baby products. Everything was free.
Tupper and her husband, Pastor Diedric Tupper, welcomed many local mothers to the baby shower, most of them low-income, with close to 50 families attending.
The church passed out baby monitors, diapers, clothing, bottles and other essential products, thanks to the leadership of the Community Development Corporation and the support of several retail partners.
While New Faith Temple is active in the community, the baby shower is a first for the church, Tupper says, and she’s thankful that so many families were helped on Monday.
“That’s just being a blessing to expectant mothers,” she says. “Just to have these baby items, it feels so good. Because starting family, especially during a pandemic, these are uncertain times. So just to be able to come in and get some love, get some real good food, get some free baby items- it's a win-win.”
But Monday’s baby shower wasn’t just about the baby. Church organizers also gave away gifts for the mothers, such as hair care and beauty products. Tupper described the gifts as “pamper items” meant to help the mother start feeling like herself again after the birth.
"Pastor Tubber, he always makes sure that we're able to kind of minister to the complete person,” she says.
New Faith Temple hosts numerous programs focused on community outreach, including a food pantry, SAT prep, and even tax assistance. For more information on New Faith’s programs, visit the website.
