VFW Post 10047 and its Ladies Auxiliary, along with VFW Ladies Auxiliary 12093, joined the non-profit organization Operation Showers of Appreciation to provide the largest military baby shower in Nevada.
The baby shower was held at a hotel in Las Vegas for 115 new and expecting mothers who either have deployed partners or are active-duty service women themselves. Every military branch of service was represented.
The shower included gifts from the local community and flowers from expectant fathers. Each mother was given a large diaper cake, a laundry basket filled with baby essentials, including clothes, blankets, formula, bottles, burp clothes, diapers and wipes, and one large item such as a car seat, stroller or crib.
On top of that, VFW Post 10047 provided convertible car seats and a car seat/stroller combo for one local family who was unable to purchase those items for their newborns.
“This is a wonderful event and our entire organization was excited for the chance to get involved and help,” said Post 10047 Commander and Nevada NMS Chairman Jon Fennych. “Our members enjoyed donating needed baby items and volunteering their time for our local military families.”
The shower also featured some special guests. U.S. Senator Dean Heller and Congressman Joe Heck each spoke to the group of mothers-to-be, but the biggest surprise and most memorable moments occurred when several deployed fathers joined the shower live from Afghanistan, via Skype!
Operation Showers of Appreciation is a 501(c)3 non-profit tax-exempt organization, whose mission is to honor our military families in a unique way by showering them with gifts for their newborn babies, providing support during difficult times, and letting them know the many sacrifices both the families and service members make are appreciated. For more information, please visit www.osoamil.org.
To learn more about VFW’s Military Assistance Program (MAP) and other VFW National Military Services programs, click here.