St. Gianna Baby & Toddler Pantry

Catholic Charities West Michigan’s St. Gianna Baby & Toddler Pantry in Muskegon provides free essentials (diapers, formula, clothing, maternity items) and serves as a referral hub for pregnancy counseling, mental health and SUD treatment, postpartum support, and domestic violence resources. A core feature is twice-monthly child safety classes—safe sleep, car seat use, shaken baby prevention, and in-home safety—led by certified car seat technicians and nurses. To remove cost barriers and boost participation, families who complete a class receive a new car seat or pack-and-play and learn to use it correctly. Classes are accessible (one-session format, bus-line location) and tailored for diverse families, including one-on-one education with translation for Haitian Creole speakers. Pre/post tests show consistent gains in safety knowledge.

This work advances United Way of the Lakeshore’s mission and Bold Goal by helping ALICE and low-income families meet basic needs and keep young children safe. Funding directly reduces preventable injuries and sleep-related infant deaths, addresses health and safety inequities in high-poverty neighborhoods, and strengthens family stability by eliminating expensive, essential purchases from tight budgets. By pairing immediate material support with trusted education and warm handoffs to community services, the pantry builds healthier, safer homes across the Lakeshore.