March of Dimes Fights for Healthy Babies
LEONARDTOWN, MD — In challenging economic times, the work of nonprofit organizations plays an even more important role in helping people maintain their health and get the services they need.
On April 30 in Leonardtown Square, families and businesses throughout St. Mary’s County will join together in March for Babies to support the March of Dimes work of helping moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives.
Families like the Maggio’s, one of our top family teams of 2010, along with businesses such as St. Mary’s Hospital, are turning out in force so that one day all babies will be born healthy, thanks to efforts like these, funded by the March of Dimes. In southern Maryland, the March of Dimes helps moms and babies in many ways locally including advocacy, education, and by awarding grants to local organizations. One of the biggest ways is to help women understand that in order to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, planning before pregnancy is a must. St. Mary’s County Health Department is recently completed a one year March of Dimes grant for $10,000 that is enabled them to distribute folic acid and educational materials through three specific clinics in the health department. In 2007, St. Mary’s County Health Department was awarded a $13,000 grant for home visiting and educational outreach using March of Dimes materials and programs for prenatal care, premature labor and smoking cessation.
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