The Stork's Nest program serves low-income pregnant women, promoting prenatal care participation and healthy behaviors during pregnancy through incentives and education. The Stork's Nest program is a partnership between the March of Dimes and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
The University of Iowa Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Chapter will be collecting items for the Johnson County Nest on November 20, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the IMU (first floor). The Johnson County nest is in need of the following items: diapers (newborns & size two), baby wipes, gift cards (Wal-Mart, K-mart, Target, and Walgreens), copy paper (color and white) and stamps.
Premature birth is the number one killer of newborns; and in the last 20 years, the problem has become worse. Premature birth affects one in every eight babies in America. The rate is even higher among African-Americans for who one baby in every six is affected. It's a major cause of serious health problems and costs society billions of dollars every year.
That's why the March of Dimes is leading a national effort to save babies from premature birth by funding research to find the causes and by supporting local programs that offer hope and help to families with a baby in intensive care. As part of that effort, November is designated as Prematurity Awareness Month to remind us that premature birth is a crisis and to bring people together to help give all babies their nine months.
Lucy Joseph
University of Iowa
Urban and Regional Planning M.A. Housing and Community Development
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.