KILLEEN, TX — Parents seeking help received it Tuesday in Killeen as Care Net of Central Texas took a visit in its diaper-loaded purple RV to hand out supplies to struggling moms and dads.
The group helped parents like Chassidy Shelton, who’s been struggling financially since COVID-19 hit.
“It makes me feel like… that there’s a lot of other moms just like me,” she said. “Just for them to come down here and help us out makes us know that we’re not alone.”
And it wasn’t just the moms who came out.
“When we found out we were expecting, it was, "We are pregnant,"” recent father Joel Villarrel said. “I’m doing my part to help, you know, make the process as easy as it can be.”
Care Net of Central Texas provides parents who are expecting or have children 36 months or younger with supplies, education and support. For the past two days, they have given out $50 worth of supplies to those in Killeen.
“She literally didn’t know how she was going to feed her baby the next day. Those were her exact words,” Erica McBurnett, the assistant to the CEO of Care Net, said. “Hearing those things, it’s just very life giving and it makes you just excited and on fire to do the same thing the very next day.”
Since COVID-19 hit, the need for their services have skyrocketed. The group has given away over 100,000 more diapers than the same time last year.
“It’s nice to know that we are helping meet needs and that babies are getting fed and staying clean,” Ashton Griffith, the center’s director, said. “And that mommas and daddas are able to do that.”
All of the supplies are donated to Care Net so moms like Shelton can feel a sense of relief.
“A lot of us are on WIC and SNAP, and for somebody like them to come out here and help us just a little bit just makes everything a little bit easier,” she said.
Parents received a book bag filled with diapers, formula, wipes, and much more.
It’s important to know that if you are considering pregnancy, expecting or are a parent already, you can visit their website for resources like virtual classes and supply locations.
