The Lima Exchange Club presented $1,500 to the Allen County Public Health Department for the purchase of cribs.
Precious Grundy | The Lima News
LIMA — In honor of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) awareness month, the Lima Exchange Club donated $1,500 to the Allen County Public Health Department. The organization provides cribs to community members who are in need. The donation was presented at the Exchange Club’s meeting Monday afternoon.
“At Allen County Public Health we have a Cribs for Kids program,” Prevention & Health Promotion Services Director Tami Gough said. “It is our goal to give every infant a safe space. In Allen County, there are approximately 1,200 new births every year. Almost half of those are eligible for Medicaid and other services. So of those, we do a program that helps them ensure they can get a crib to have a safe sleep for their child.”
The program encourages parents or caregivers to utilize the cribs and provides education for a healthy baby.
“It is crucial (for parents) to use the crib every time the baby sleeps,” Gough said. “Unfortunately, sometimes sleep accidents happen when the baby is napping or in the care of a babysitter — A part of our program is just educating everyone that babies need to sleep in a crib and on their back every time they sleep.”
Gough also said the department is awarded an amount each year for the purchasing of cribs. The additional donation makes room for more cribs to be purchased.
“We are allotted a certain number of cribs from the state health department every year based on the number of births you have in your county that are eligible for Medicaid,” Gough said.
Community members interested in receiving a crib are encouraged to contact the department at 419-228-4457.
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
