Baby2Baby Partners with Merck for Mothers to Deliver Thousands of Vital Supply Kits to New Moms Across the U.S.

Merck for Mothers' grant of half a million dollars will help expand the reach of Baby2Baby's initiative to combat the maternal health crisis across the country

LOS ANGELES, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --Baby2Baby, the national nonprofit that has distributed over half a billion essential items to children in need across the U.S. over the last 14 years, announced the expansion of its initiative to combat the maternal health crisis. This year with a $500,000 grant from Merck for Mothers, Baby2Baby will deliver an additional 3,000 Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits to mothers and their babies across the country, immediately after giving birth.

U.S. maternal mortality rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years, with mental health cited as the leading cause of maternal mortality - disproportionately impacting Black mothers. The goal of the program is to address the mental health struggles of new mothers who cannot afford essential items for their babies. Baby2Baby's Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits contain items that are vital for the health and wellbeing of both mother and newborn including diapers, hygiene products, breastfeeding supplies, postpartum care and educational resources.

"We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation from Merck for Mothers which will allow Baby2Baby to distribute thousands of Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits to new moms and their babies immediately after birth," said Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof. "When we provide these critical items to mothers, it helps alleviate the stress of struggling to meet their baby's most basic needs during an already vulnerable time."

"Through Merck for Mothers, we are committed to helping improve maternal health outcomes in the U.S. and around the world," said Cristal Downing, chief communications & public affairs officer, Merck. "We are driven by our purpose to save and improve lives and are proud to support Baby2Baby's efforts to help more mothers in need access essential resources to keep themselves and their babies healthy in the earliest days of life."

In 2023, Baby2Baby was selected to pilot a program alongside the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to combat the maternal health crisis. After a successful pilot in three states with the highest maternal mortality and child poverty rates - Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico - the program is now expanding to fifteen states including California, New York, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia - in addition to the three pilot states. The expanded program is expected to reach 18,000 mothers in 2025 alone.

About Baby2Baby:
Baby2Baby is a non-profit organization that provides children in need with diapers, formula, clothing, and the basic necessities that every child deserves, serving more than one million children across all 50 states. Led by Co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, the organization has distributed over 500 million items over the past 14 years to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care, hospitals and school districts as well as children who have lost everything in the wake of disaster. The organization's success has been propelled forward by its industry-leading model that is redefining what it means to operate a non-profit with a seamless integration of impact, innovation, and influence, which earned them recognition as the #1 non-profit on Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies List and praise from TIME Magazine as one of 2023's most influential companies. To learn more about Baby2Baby please visit www.baby2baby.org.

About Merck for Mothers:
Merck for Mothers is Merck's $650 million global initiative to help create a world where no woman has to die while giving life. Applying Merck's business and scientific resources, the initiative collaborates with partners to improve the health and well-being of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. For more information, visit www.merckformothers.com.

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SOURCE Baby2Baby