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  • From left, Bea Walker, one of the local organizers of Baby Boot Camp, looks over some donations for the event with McAlester Regional Health Center employees Shannon Shields and Polly Shoemake at the Victory Park Baptist Church Tuesday afternoon. Kevin Harvison

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September 1, 2010

Baby boots: McAlester church, health officials team up for teen moms

BY Mandy Carter Staff Writer

McALESTER — Preparing for a new baby is tough under any circumstances, but for teen mothers, the challenges can be overwhelming.

The premise behind “Baby Boot Camp,” a combination workshop and baby shower organized specifically for teen mothers, is to provide tools and support to help young mothers deal with the challenges they face, according to local organizer Bea Walker.

“This is an event that was started by Baptist nurses in Kentucky,” she said. “From there, it just went all over. They’ve been having them in western Oklahoma for about a year now, but this is the first one on this side of the state.”

McAlester’s Baby Boot Camp is slated for Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pittsburg County Health Department, 1400 E. College Avenue.

Participants must be teenagers and at least five months pregnant with their first child, and they must have a reservation, Walker said. The BBC has 10 openings and reservations are on a first-come-first-served basis.

The schedule includes breakfast and lunch, she added, and door prizes will be given throughout the day. In addition, workshops offering tips on taking care of a newborn, as well as taking care of the new mom, will be part of the schedule.

Classes and activities are taught by three instructors, including a registered nurse teaching Baby Basics, and the wellness portion of the day. The program also includes devotionals and spiritual section.  

Participants will be given baskets that include items for their babies, such as diapers, baby wipes, bottles, pacifiers, baby lotion, diaper rash ointment, infant pain reliever, clothing items such as onesies, socks and booties, blankets, crib sheets, burp cloths and more, provided through community donations.

“The Baptist Association has held these one-day camps in the western part of the state,” Walker said. “We here in the Pittsburg Baptist Association have come together to make this one a success. So many different churches are taking part, and also, so many individuals have given donations of baby items and money, though more monetary donations would be appreciated to make each basket equal.

“McAlester Regional Health Center has donated a car seat for the grand prize,” she added, “and Mike Echelle, of Pittsburg County Health Department, has offered his conference room free of charge.

“Bro. Reed Lynn and his staff at Pittsburg Baptist Association has been very supportive,” she continued. “First Baptist Church, McAlester, has donated us a place to have our meetings in addition to letting us have our donations sent to them, so everything will be kept together until we are ready to pack the baskets.”

For more information on participating in the Baby Boot Camp activity, or to make a donation, contact Walker at 423-2166 or e-mail vpbc@victoryparkbaptist.org.

Contact Mandy Carter at mcarter@mcalesternews.com.

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