Rachel's Fund
...because every infant deserves a crib.

When we heard about the shortage of cribs in the region, my husband and I set up Rachel’s Fund. This fund is a special fundraising initiative to support A Wider Circle’s efforts to supply cribs to families in need.  We established Rachel’s Fund in honor of my sister, Rachel Studdard, who passed away from SIDS as a young baby. In her memory, we felt it was important to do what we could to provide babies with their own  place to sleep, as safe cribs can promote healthy sleeping habits and reduce the incidence of SIDS. Today, families are finding it harder to make ends meet, and your contribution will help take care of their babies’ basic needs. 

I hope you will join us in supporting this effort. No contribution is too small to make a difference in these babies’ lives. 

What is SIDS?

Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected and unexplained death of a child under twelve months of age.

SIDS afffects more than 4,500 infants every year. It is the leading cause of death for children between one month and one year of age. Though rates have been falling, African American and Native American babies are two and three times (respectively) more likely to die of SIDS than white babies.

Placing babies on their backs to sleep and providing safe, firm places to sleep, like cribs, are the primary ways to prevent SIDS. Babies who sleep in unsafe conditions such as adult beds are at a 40% greater chance of dying of SIDS.

Sources: National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Cribs for Kids.

"On Monday I got a message from A Wider Circle to come in for the crib and other furniture. On Tuesday I got a call from my client and she told me that she had delivered her son. It was perfect. I thought 'Wow, they are going to have a crib.' Most of the moms I work with don't have cribs and their babies sleep with them."

- Social worker, Prince George's County Community Resources Center, client served on 4/1/09

"My heart is full. I feel good. I got nice things that I really needed. I got sick last year and I was in hospital from January through June. My children don't have to sleep on the floor anymore and I can take the sheets off of my windows."

- A Wider Circle client served on 3/31009

The Crib Crisis

Mothers having to put their babies in laundry baskets to sleep - that is what one local agency told us they have to advise these days. We have received more than a half dozen calls in the last month from agencies that can no longer find basic need items for young moms. In response to this, A Wider Circle sent out a “crib crisis” listserv email - and the response has been wonderful. As a result, we have been able to serve the clients of these agencies with the cribs, changing tables, strollers, and other items that families have needed. Please help us spread the word about the significant need for these items. They can be dropped off at the Center for Community Service or you can call to schedule a pick-up of items that cannot be dropped off.