BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Preparing to welcome a new baby can come with excitement, uncertainty and plenty of new expenses. For families across Kern County, local resources and community donations can help make that transition a little easier.<\/p>\n
For Kristy Elias, that support came at a pivotal time in her life.<\/p>\n
Elias was 18 years old, finishing high school and facing an uncertain future when she learned she was pregnant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was immediately afraid,\u201d Elias said. \u201cI was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to be the parent that my son deserved because I was only in high school. I had nothing in life set up for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elias said she wasn’t sure what kind of support she or her child would have. Then, she found the Bakersfield Pregnancy Center.<\/p>\n
She credits the support she received there with helping give her the confidence to step into motherhood.<\/p>\n
Now, 13 years later, her son Jaden is a teenager.<\/p>\n
While Elias can look back on those early days of motherhood, Jordan Watson and his wife are just beginning their journey.<\/p>\n
The couple is expecting their first child in December and has been using classes and other resources offered by the Bakersfield Pregnancy Center as they prepare to become parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just feel like we’ve been made more confident and ready to be parents,\u201d Watson said. \u201cIt’s helped ease a lot of the stress and some of the anxieties that come with being a parent.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Executive Director Erin Rogers, the Bakersfield Pregnancy Center offers its services for free and receives donations from the community, including diapers, wipes, formula and clothing.<\/p>\n
That support is also at the heart of the 23ABC Community Baby Shower.<\/p>\n
Since 2018, 23ABC has partnered with the Bakersfield Pregnancy Center through the Community Baby Shower, collecting baby essentials that can go back to local families.<\/p>\n
Rogers said those donations have an impact well beyond the day of the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe donations that are received through the KERO TV Community Baby Shower help us be able to supply the needs of our clients throughout the whole year,\u201d Rogers said.<\/p>\n
This year’s 23ABC Community Baby Shower is November 19 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the 23ABC Studios at 321 21st Street in Downtown Bakersfield. <\/p>\n
For parents like Kristy then, and Jordan now, those donations can mean a little extra support as they begin one of life’s biggest new chapters.<\/p>\n