Wine Ministry collects baby items for mothers in need in Freeport Leave a comment
FREEPORT — The Wine Ministry of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church got a jump start on honoring Mother’s Day by hosting a drive-thru baby shower at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Freeport on Saturday.
The Wine Ministry, which stands for Women in the New Evangelization, is a group of women who meet monthly at St. Thomas Aquinas Church to pray, drink wine, and think of ways to help people in the community of Freeport.
The women decided to honor mothers this Mother’s Day by hosting the baby shower for mothers in need. Items collected during the shower would be donated to the Madonna Renewal Center and the Freeport Pregnancy Center, two area agencies that support women who are pregnant.
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“We have some vibrant women of our church, and we know there are things we can do as a group to help others,” said Lou Ann Stambaugh-Hayes. “We decided Mother’s Day weekend was a great way to see what we could do to support mothers who need extra help.”
Freeport residents Dan and Sarah Scheider attend St. Thomas and stopped by on Saturday with diapers.
“My wife and I decided we had to help out,” Dan Scheider said. “Having faith is about helping others.”
Stambaugh-Hayes said she supports the work being done by the volunteers at the Freeport Pregnancy Center, which assists teens and women involved with a crisis pregnancy. At the center, the women can get a free pregnancy test and receive referrals for ongoing care. The services are free and confidential.
The Madonna Renewal Center is run by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ, also known as the Blue Nuns.
The Madonna Renewal Center takes in women and their babies, providing a safe place to live while waiting for the birth of children or needing assistance with housing for children already born.
The shower collected diapers, baby wipes, clothing, blankets, prenatal vitamins and other items needed for child care.
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The Wine Ministry began post-pandemic as a way for woman to reconnect after isolation felt by many during COVID-19 lockdowns.
“We needed more of a purpose, a way to give back, and that develops through friendships and faith,” Stambaugh-Hayes said. “All Christian women are invited to join us.”
The Women of New Evangelization meets the last Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Freeport.
Jane Lethlean is a freelance correspondent.
