Donation provides resources for moms, kids

Caring for those in need is a way of life here in Bonners Ferry, and during the holiday season that tradition is even more apparent.

Bonners Ferry resident Bridget McClelland was moved recently by a mom and child in desperate need in our area, and she shared that burden with the employees she supervises at Planet DDS, a dentistry software company based in Orange County, California. The ladies there responded by putting together a huge amount of brand-new and lightly-used high-end winter clothing for expecting moms and children, as well as a number of breast pumps, and Bridget began looking for a way to get these much needed items into our community.

Vi C., who spearheaded the operation down in Orange County, said, “I wasn’t looking to donate, but when I heard about the struggle the women in your community were facing, I couldn’t turn a blind eye. Being a recently new mom myself, I had many of the items that I knew struggling mothers could use. I also have new mommy friends who agreed that it was a good opportunity to donate spare items to help those in need. Opportunities to share are always a blessing. Definitely worth the time and effort.”

“This is a win-win situation, where mothers get what they need, while we can be more eco-friendly by extending the use of baby necessities. It is already challenging being a mother and another level of madness with a pandemic, so I’m more than happy to help out fellow mamas,” said Sharon, one of the other employees.

As the nearly one dozen boxes of items started arriving, Bridget talked to her husband, Boundary County Sheriff Detective Dave McClelland, about how to get these resources where they could do the most good, and he immediately asked BCSO Chaplain Len Pine to take on the project. Chaplain Pine in turn contacted A Blessed Beginning here in Bonners Ferry, a non-profit specifically set up to provide assistance and resources such as free pregnancy testing, STD testing and referrals for care, free baby clothing, childbirth classes, and parenting counseling. The organization has been serving Boundary County since 2008. The ladies at A Blessed Beginning were delighted to receive such an enormous donation that will be a help to so many, and send their thanks to Vi C., Sharon V., Christina N., Kim N., Jacqueline H., and Pauline C. down in Orange County.

Jacqueline commented, “Motherhood can be surprisingly lonely and challenging in unexpected ways. As a mother, I wanted to donate warm clothes to another mother so that she knows someone out there cares for and prays for her. And warm clothes for her children too because we all want our children to have what they need. We have cherished memories in these clothes, and I hope their families will too.”

Expectant moms and families in need of clothing and other items for their kids can find A Blessed Beginning at 6530-B Washington Street in Bonners Ferry. Their hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from 12-3, and more information can be obtained by calling 208-267-1491.

Len Pine serves as chaplain for the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office and is president of the Boundary County Chaplain Corps.