A Shopping Event for Charity, Baby’s Bounty, Las Vegas, Nevada

Members of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce filled the large Halloween Mart store as they walked around all of the merchandise and fixtures to find the food tables and taste the BBQ pork, beef sliders, jambalaya, chicken fingers, and more.

There were Pirate Girls serving wine and other spirit tables around the room. Some of the younger guests arrived wearing costumes.

Everything had been planned to enhance the evening with celebrity arrivals Elisa Furr and friends from iCandy Burlesque along with Antonio Fargas whom you may remember in Starsky and Hutch. They offered a free picture with Lady Gaga from Madame Tussauds.

There were free gifts with every purchase plus a donation to Baby’s Bounty.

It was shopping for a good cause, a trend that has been both helping the public and charities around the United States.

Many people may not be familiar with Baby’s Bounty. Over 50 agencies refer babies for assistance. Kim Amato, the founder, discussed their mission statement, “An infant’s safety and wellbeing is our top priority. A typical distribution includes a safe sleep environment such as a pack n’ play (w/bassinet attachment); a car seat; a wearable baby carrier for parent; a bathtub filled with towels, washcloths and toiletries; a diaper bag filled with clothes, bottles, receiving blankets, hats, bibs, booties, diapers, wipes, and a toy plus a hand knit blanket.

By providing these most essential items, it relieves some of the stress and despair the parents are experiencing and allows them to take better care of their new babies.

Baby’s Bounty assists more than 50 babies in need each month. Over 75 Clark County social service providers such as, Welfare, the Health District, Safe Nest, Safe House, Olive Crest, HELP of S. NV, Clark County School District and the Department of Family & Child Protective Services, identify and refer babies in need of assistance. Caseworkers pick up the items and deliver them to mother and baby, often as they are leaving the hospital.

A baby in need can only be assisted through the referral process. Since launching in July of 2008, we have assisted over 1,800 babies in need.

Baby’s Bounty also provides vital information to parents regarding safe sleep practices, child abuse prevention, developmental charts, immunization guidelines and information regarding free, certified car seat installation at three locations.

For any information about Baby’s Bounty or their events, call 485-BABY. Drop off gently used items at baby’s bounty distribution center. Open: 9 am-2 pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Baby’s Bounty is located at 340 Rancho Drive, #4-556. www.babysbounty.org

(The wine was donated by Sanders Family Winery, Jambalaya by Rhythm Kitchen and chicken fingers by Chicken Bonz.)