In December 1884, Mary Virginia Merrick was told about a
woman soon to give birth who had no clothes for her baby.
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Quickly organizing her sisters and
friends, Mary Virginia provided a complete layette in time for the new arrival. This was the beginning of what became
the cornerstone of the Christ Child Society- The Layette Program. The program grew as more people
began to make the baby items.
Layettes are
packages of clothing and equipment for a newborn infant. The Society provides 4,000
layette for mothers in need in the greater Washington DC area. These layettes
are distributed through our 35 agency partners. (link to partner list)
The
Layette Program is fueled by the generous support of the Society volunteers. Over half of the layettes contain a hand
made blanket knitted or crocheted by a volunteer. A small miraculous medal,
attached to a Mother's Prayer card marks the gift coming for the Christ Child.
A
dedicated group of volunteers come to the administrative offices every month to
unpack layette supplies. Guilds take turn packing 400 layettes bags
per month for distribution.
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In the month of
December, generous Christ Child Society members and friends provide extra
material for the babies born at Christmas time. Some of the addition items provided at Christmas time
include beautiful outfits, books and other "extra items" to
celebrate the birth of the Christmas babies.
In addition to
the bag items that the Society distributes, each layette is accompanied by a
pack of educational materials, written in English and Spanish, for the mother.
Agencies can
pick up layettes from 9am thru 3pm at the Christ Child Society Office.