Hundreds of tiny hands and tiny toes reveled and cooed at the gym of Gregorio Luperon High School in Washington Heights on June 6 as they celebrated Moments for Life NY’s NYC Community Baby Shower.

Intended to help mothers in need, and sponsored by EmblemHealth, the five-borough natal party kicked off on June 4 in the Bronx and continued to Manhattan on Saturday with balloons, music, and more than 40 raffle prizes, ranging from cribs, car seats, baby formula, and self-care for moms and dads. 

Started by retired Detective Fred Washington in 2021, the community baby shower was inspired by his decades of experience on the force. 

“I saw a lot of women when I was in the NYPD suffer from domestic violence and they’d be having kids,” said Washington, who expressed that mothers and pregnant women in distress would often request his help with resources. “So, I was like, you know what, I want to do this.”

What began with a little more than 50 women helped through the program has grown to upwards of 5,000 today, with every event including life-saving resources from organizations providing healthcare, housing, food, and more. The exponential growth of the communal showers made it clear to Washington that there was a dire need for this kind of service, which further inspired him to establish the nonprofit Moments for Life NY in 2025. 

Baby shower helps mothers who survived domestic violence

Sabrina Baker and her two-month-old Kairo were one of the hundreds to attend the community baby shower in Manhattan on Saturday.  As a first-time mother, Baker was seeking health resources and community. Photo by ET Rodriguez Mother-to-be, Myraliz Rivera, learned how to conduct CPR on an infant versus grown children and adults, which requires less pressure when performing compressions due to the baby’s fragile body.Photo by ET Rodriguez

“I’m a survivor,” said Yudelkys Abreu, who was working the Manhattan event on behalf of Safe Horizon’s crime assistance division. “When I submitted one of my domestic violence reports, there was a phone number on the back, and you know, I’m doing this job for four years now.”

While anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, in NYC, the majority of those affected are Black and Hispanic women, according to the 2023 annual report by the city’s Domestic Violence Fatality Committee. At both the Bronx and Manhattan legs of the community baby shower, more than 90% of those in attendance were women of color.

Other women in attendance admitted to living in shelters, some while pregnant, like Alyssa Roman.

“I was 22 years old so I didn’t really know what to do,” she said. “Now, I have my own place, I have a job, I’m working part-time, and I’m happy where I stand.”

Roman has attended the events over the years and was three months pregnant with her second child while sporting a tattoo on her shoulder of the name, time, birthday, and footprints of her firstborn daughter, Iyanna. 

Currently in the shelter system and seeking an apartment and employment, first-time mom Sabrina Baker was overjoyed to attend the celebration with her 2-month-old, Kairo. 

Fred Washington, founder of Moments for Life NY, shakes hands with the fathers in the room as they are gifted with Harry’s shaving kits.Photo by ET Rodriguez

While housing and safety are crucial for everyone, especially expectant mothers and those with young children, another overlooked resource many identified with was a sense of community. Jay (last name retracted for safety) moved to NYC in 2022, leaving her family hundreds of miles away and lives with her 6-month-old son, Noah. 

“It was really challenging to kind of get connected, make connections,” said Jay. “[I’m here] to see what organizations are out there for single mothers and mothers that are struggling with like, hormones and postpartum and pregnancy.”

Postpartum depression, a long-lasting mood disorder suffered by some women after childbirth, often goes undiagnosed and, as a result, untreated. The repercussions tend to be more pronounced among racial and ethnic minority groups and other underserved populations, according to a 2022 postpartum depression review by the city’s Department of Mental Health. 

In addition to making sure mothers and mothers-to-be felt celebrated, Moments for Life NY also recognized the fathers in the room with shaving kits, ensuring everyone left feeling appreciated and smiling. 

The day ended with a catered meal and a bag filled with produce and canned goods given to the first 200 people in line for lunch.

Alyssa Roman sports a tattoo of the name, time, date and footprints of her first born.Photo by ET Rodriguez The Manhattan leg of the baby shower five-borough tour sold out all 1,250 tickets on Saturday.Photo by ET Rodriguez

The community baby shower continues in Brooklyn on June 10, Queens on June 16 and Staten Island on June 20. Tickets are free and can be found on Eventbrite under organizer, Fred Washington. If tickets are sold out, those in need are encouraged to still attend. For those unable to make it this time around, the event will be held again in the winter.

“Anybody that’s in need should come to the baby shower. Do not be scared. We’re going to help you out,” Washington added. “We have services from the Department of Health, from the NYPD, domestic violence … we have all the services that you need for your kids, for you, for a person being pregnant, all the way up to the age of three, everything.”