Public Service Profile: Birthdays & Baby Showers

In 2021, Early Intervention Director Lauren Chambers received a call from her Fayette County counterpart regarding a child shared between the two counties Early Intervention programs. The Early Intervention Program provides developmental and educational services to Greene County children younger than three years old who have developmental delays. The supervisor had birthday gifts from the agency Beverly’s Birthdays. The two met and transferred gifts, and Lauren was amazed to see what Beverly’s Birthdays had provided. 

Beverly’s Birthdays provides birthday cheer for children experiencing homelessness and families in need. They’ve made it their mission to help meet the essential needs of the families they serve through celebration, recognition, and support. Through their birthday programming, our Beverly’s Babies division, and The Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank, they are a resource for the tens of thousands of families in the Pittsburgh region.

Lauren reached out to Beverly’s Birthdays and after a funding review (Beverly’s is based in Westmoreland and hadn’t spread down into Greene), they were approved for the Birthday Cheer program. Custom, curated Birthday Cheer Boxes include gifts, books, hygiene items, snacks, toys, plush, and more. All items are new and packed with cheer and love.

By the end of 2021, Greene was selected for community baby shower. The organization pulled up to the fairgrounds in a party bus and transformed the auction building into a beautiful baby shower venue. The event was free to any families in the surrounding areas, including neighboring counties. The event supported 19 young families through the project.  “I was blown away by the event these amazing ladies put on,” Lauren said. 

Greene County has been chosen again for the baby shower event, and this year’s event will be held on March 8 at the fairgrounds. “We’re looking forward to making it bigger and better with our community partners. One of the things that Greene County prides itself on is that we have a strong collaboration between our departments,” Lauren said. “I would like to also thank Equitrans for their more than generous donation so that we can continue growing this partnership and making it even bigger and better.” 

Long-time partner Equitrans Midstream Corporation approached Beverly’s Birthdays about how they could invest deeper into Greene County. Their contribution will allow Beverly’s to support a pilot year of ensuring that children and families are supported on their birthdays. Their assistance will provide birthday presents to those children for the next year. “We want to be a good neighbor,” said Amy Gonzalez, the senior community advisor at Equitrans. “We’re committed to meaningful engagement and philanthropic partnership to improve the lives of individuals in the community where we live and work. We welcome the opportunity to work with additional organizations within the community and continue to be a good partner with Greene County. 

The Free Community Baby Shower will be held on March 8 at the Greene County Fairgrounds from 11-12:30pm. If you are unable to attend the Waynesburg event, the same event will be held in Uniontown on April 14 at the Uniontown Mall from 11-12:30pm. Spaces are limited, and a reservation is required. Visit beverlysbirthdays.org to register or FMI. 

About Danielle Nyland

Current Position: Editor and Social Media Manager of GreeneScene Community Magazine. Danielle Nyland is a local photographer, artist, and writer. She is a Greene County native and currently lives in Nemacolin with her husband, Daytona, two sons, Remington and Kylo, and an English bull terrier, Sparky. Danielle has a background in graphic design, web publishing, social media, management, and photography. She graduated American Public University with an associate degree in web publishing and Bellevue University with a bachelor degree in graphic design. She has also attended the New York Institute of Photography. Before joining the team, she worked in retail and as an instructor at Laurel Business Institute. Outside of her work with the GreeneScene, she enjoys painting and drawing, photography, and loves reading books and watching movies – especially the scary ones! Danielle has been photographing and writing about local history and events since 2010 as part of the SWPA Rural Exploration team. She’s active in local community events and committees. She’s a board member with Flenniken Public Library and is on the committees for the Sheep & Fiber Festival, 50’s Fest & Car Cruise, and Light Up Night.