Call Now
For ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families, the joy of a new baby is often met with the anxiety of having to further tighten the household budget. Heart of Florida United Way’s Annual Community Baby Shower is designed to ease that burden, providing essentials to welcome a new baby and, as one family found, something much more profound: a sense of belonging.
This summer, our Community Baby Shower, presented by AdventHealth for Women, served 150 expectant families across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties. Megan had recently moved to Florida before attending the Community Baby Shower. Sadly, she lost both of her parents before choosing to relocate, so she was feeling isolated and anxious as she approached her third pregnancy. She and her husband, who both live with social anxiety, were nervous about attending the event.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” she said, “but we were so relieved at how nice and relaxed the event was.”
After nine years of infertility and the loss of twins before the birth of her son, this third pregnancy felt like a miracle. “To even get one child followed by another feels like we almost got our twins back.”
For families like hers, the baby shower was a lifeline. “We’ve never had a baby shower because we don’t have that kind of community here,” she explained. “Heart of Florida United Way gave us the community we don’t have.”
Beyond the gifts, the shower provided critical community resources. She had concerns that her 20-month-old son may be on the spectrum and was relieved to find resources like HFUW’s Help Me Grow program to help navigate getting him the support he needs. She also received valuable tips from one of AdventHealth’s lactation specialists in anticipation of her new arrival.
“When we got out of the hospital [with our first child], we had no resources,” she said. “I wound up just excessively pumping, which is something I don’t want to do with this child. Having a lactation specialist that can help me learn to latch means a lot.”
Megan’s experience was filled with small but meaningful moments that offered reassurance. She recalled a volunteer who noticed her struggling to admit that she could not use one of the products she was given. “She went the extra step to find a product I could use so that I got the resources I needed. That really meant a lot.”
Even what seems to be the little things, like new baby nail clippers, Megan shared that she hadn’t realized how important it was to use brand-new clippers for a newborn for sanitary reasons. She was just going to reuse the ones from her firstborn. Not having to buy a new, expensive kit full of all the tools newborn babies need was a huge help.
She described the Community Baby Shower in one word: calm.
“You would think coming here would be a lot, but it’s not. It’s just kind of peaceful and calm.”
She hopes donors and volunteers understand the full impact of their generosity, especially for families who are hesitant to ask for help.
“Some of us don’t feel comfortable asking for help,” she said. “We may not think we deserve it, especially being in our late 30s and being new parents.” She concluded by calling Heart of Florida United Way’s support “a blessing” for families like hers who “are not the type of people to ask for help unless we really need it.”
The Bigger Picture: Why Community Support Matters
Megan’s experience underscores something fundamental: for ALICE families, community support transforms moments of isolation into opportunities for stability and connection.
The economic reality is stark. In Florida, the ALICE Household Survival Budget for a family of four (two adults, two children) is estimated at $92,072.86 , far above the federal poverty threshold of $30,000. In Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, nearly half of all households are struggling to meet even basic needs.
These figures paint a picture of families caught between working and surviving—a reality that magnifies the importance of events like our baby showers.
Thanks to the incredible support of our sponsors, donors, and volunteers we provide new and expecting moms like Megan with the resources and support they need to thrive on their parenting journey.
Megan’s story is just one of many. And for many of them grief and hope live side-by-side. We are helping to transform the emotional and economic landscape for families who often feel unseen. Providing space for those who, like Megan, are building community out of loss and hope.