RAYSAL, WV (WOAY) – Families and community members in Raysal are fighting to afford baby supplies as a result of COVID-19.
To help parents in need, Refuge Church is opening the Noah’s Ark Baby Pantry, offering food, supplies and wellness education.
“It means a lot for us. It helps a lot of girls in the community,” said Refuge Church Member Rebecca Godfrey. “It helps a lot of people that need diapers, wipes, things like that. It blesses the community a whole lot.”
Refuge Church is partnering with several organizations, including UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, to support the pantry, which is free to the community.
“It’s such a special initiative, to kind of bridge those gaps, act as a safety net for parents in need,” said UniCare Marketing Manager Natalie Robinson. “During this time where ends don’t meet, this baby pantry will be here.
Raysal has several young mothers needing basic supplies to raise their children. They stand to benefit considerably from what the baby pantry has to offer, both in materials and training.
“You’ve got all of these girls with gen babies, or teenagers with babies, that are just coming out of school that could use the help,” Godfrey said. “It helps everybody.”
As the pantry develops, so too will the health of Raysal families.