A fitted crib sheet, a wearable blanket and a pacifier; these may seem like everyday items, but they are capable of saving lives. CSB staff volunteered at the Pittsburgh-based organization Cribs for Kids on Nov. 22, where they assembled kits to prevent infant sleep-related deaths.
Cribs for Kids’ motto is “Helping every baby sleep safer,” and they contribute to this mission by delivering Safe Sleep Survival Kits to families in need throughout the Pittsburgh region and surrounding states.
These kits educate parents and caregivers about safe sleep practices and equip them with supplies to keep their baby safe. The items in the kit, including the fitted sheet and the wearable blanket, are designed to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). According to the CDC, there were 3,700 SIDS deaths in the United States in 2022.
While volunteering at Cribs for Kids, CSB staff assembled 54 boxes that contained 540 sleep kits, which will be sent to infants and their families.
“As a mother of two, I understand the importance of safe sleep practices for infants and preventing infant deaths,” said Amanda Shaheen, assistant to the chair. “It was meaningful for me to learn about an organization that I didn’t know existed in Pittsburgh and to help out with something like this.”
This was CSB’s first volunteering event, but we plan to organize more events like this to make our community a better place to live. University staff are eligible to receive up to 7.5 hours of paid time off per month to participate in community service.
“We quite literally had a hands-on impact,” said Jennifer Watt, administrative manager. “It was easy enough for us to organize six items and put them in a bag but knowing that a low-income mother who might be stressing out about her infant’s health is getting this stuff for free is really nice to think about.”
In addition to helping out the community, staff enjoyed the chance to connect with each other in a meaningful way outside of the office. They bonded over their favorite movies and music while assembling the kits.
“It was nice to be in a relaxed environment with my peers and do something good,” said Shaheen. “It definitely created a sense of community and shared purpose.”
Both Shaheen and Watt are eager to participate in future department volunteering events.
“A little impact goes a long way,” said Watt. “We can share a very small portion of our lives and help new mothers and 540 babies, so why wouldn’t we want to?”