Birthdays are important milestones that should always be cause for celebration. Every year, Nurses for Newborns (NFN) helps newborn babies make it to their first birthdays happy and healthy. For more than 30 years, the local nonprofit has provided in-home nurse visits, health care assistance, education and connections to resources for families during their pregnancy and after their baby’s arrival. This year, NFN is hosting an important celebration of its own: the 25th anniversary of its annual A Night for Newborns gala.
There is a critical need for NFN’s services in the St. Louis community, according to CEO Melinda Monore. “As we slowly come out of the pandemic, the demand for resources remains higher than ever,” she explains. “Plus, the nursing shortage has put further strain on health care services.” To ensure that families can receive care the nonprofit has expanded its telehealth services, and it offers a program that loans out infant medical scales, allowing families to better monitor their babies’ weight and development. “We have a strong preference for visiting the home in person, but that is not always possible,” Monroe says. “Technology has opened up a whole new avenue for connecting with families.”
The support NFN offers is multifaceted. Along with care for infants, it also provides medical and mental health support for mothers and educational programming on parenting. “The most important thing is ensuring that parents have the confidence and information necessary to care for their baby,” Monroe notes. Another critical concern the nonprofit assists with is housing—a need that has only become more crucial as housing insecurity has been exacerbated due to the pandemic, local flooding in 2022 and inflation in the rental market. “Take a situation where a baby is expected or newly born, and the urgency of housing stability outweighs every other need,” Monroe says.
Thanks to its in-home model of care, NFN nurses are among some of the first to know if a family is struggling to pay rent and utilities or facing some other challenge that could lead to them becoming unhoused. The nonprofit works with community partners to help prevent eviction, but if that is not possible, it also will work with the family so they continue receiving care if they have to move. “We make sure the baby has a safe place to sleep, formula and diapers,” Monroe says. “Without support, the baby’s growth and development may be affected and other concerns can spiral.”
NFN services would not be possible without A Night for Newborns—the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraising event. This year’s gala is April 15 at The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza. Guests are invited to celebrate the gala’s silver anniversary with dinner and entertainment from the band Arvell and Company. To provide further support for NFN, there also will be live and silent auctions and a fund a need campaign. “A Night for Newborns is critically important in allowing us to serve more babies, hire top quality staff and accomplish our mission” Monroe says. “The impact on local families and the community really is linear.”
Nurses for Newborns schedules nurse and community health worker consultations to offer families a safety net to prevent infant mortality, child abuse and neglect. It’s celebrating the 25th anniversary of its A Night For Newborns fundraising event April 15. Pictured on the cover: Hana Ismael; Chari Bender, R.N.; Kevin Knatt; Israa Aldawoodi; Jamal Alkurwi; Bridget Ebert. For more information, call 314.544.3433 or visit nursesfornewborns.org.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
Pictured at top: Kelly Ferrara Bayne and Fran Barbieri
Photo: Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
