Celebrating New Beginnings: Penfield’s First-Ever Community Baby Shower

On Saturday, June 7, Penfield Children’s Center hosted its first-ever Community Baby Shower, presented by Kohl’s with support from Joie—and it was nothing short of extraordinary.

Held outdoors at our campus in Milwaukee, the event welcomed approximately 275 attendees, including an incredible 94 pregnant or postpartum moms. It was a beautiful celebration of new beginnings, connection, and community.

This free event brought together expecting and new mothers from Penfield’s Growing Together pregnancy support group, participants in our other programs, and families from the surrounding neighborhoods. Our goal was to create more than just a festive atmosphere—we aimed to build a village of support and care for moms during one of the most important transitions of their lives.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship from Kohl’s, every mom in attendance received a Kohl’s Building Blocks diaper bag filled with newborn essentials, baby clothes, and more. A special thank-you goes out to our staff, who lovingly shopped for and packed each bag, ensuring they were filled with care.

Joie added even more joy to the day by providing a wide variety of incredible baby gear giveaways—including strollers, car seats, and baby carriers. The smiles and excitement these gifts sparked were priceless.

Moms and families also enjoyed fun activities like tie-dyeing onesies and coloring stations, a delicious lunch, and access to an incredible lineup of local organizations offering prenatal and postpartum resources.

We were proud to be joined by Moo’d Lactation, Strong Baby, Community Connectors, Midtown Children’s, La Causa, Wisconsin Doulas of Color Collective, My Swaddle, Milwaukee Public Library, Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation (Well Badger and First Breath), the City of Milwaukee’s Lead Prevention Program (Home Environmental Health), WIC, and BBM. Their presence brought vital information and support to families navigating early parenthood.

As our CEO Polina Makievsky shared, “Penfield’s Community Baby Shower is about more than gifts—it’s about building a village.” And that’s exactly what we did—through every connection, every shared resource, and every joyful moment.

A heartfelt thank you to Kohl’s, Joie, our community partners, and especially to our dedicated Penfield team who made this special day possible. Your efforts helped us honor and uplift the powerful journey of motherhood—right here in our community.