A lack of adequate supplies of diapers is a serious problem for parents with limited resources in our community. The New Beginnings Baby Pantry helps fill this need by providing emergency baby supplies for mothers with limited resources who are not living at New Beginnings. The non-residential program will consist of what we call the “Baby Pantry,” in which mothers can come to a local church on a day that we have scheduled the baby pantry from 10am-12pm to receive diapers, wipes, and other vital resources free of charge. All available items are donated by the community as in-kind donations, and are given on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please call our office at (414) 376-0595 for more details.
The Boutique program for non-residents
Interested single mothers must fill out an application at the Baby Pantry or at New Beginnings. A Boutique Credit List details how many Boutique Bucks can be earned for attending classes and devotions at New Beginnings, attending school, volunteering, and more. New Beginnings will be responsible for tracking how many Boutique Bucks (BBs) each mother earns. BBs can then be spent in the boutique at New Beginnings assuming an appointment is set up ahead of time. Mothers can set up an appointment by calling (414) 376-0595. Mothers who participate in the non-residential program for at least 6 months will have an advantage over other applicants for our residential program. In addition, participants will also have the option of becoming a Boutique for Life participant after 6 months of participation. At that time, the mother would be awarded 50 BBs each month to spend in the boutique on items for her child without the requirement of attending classes. The 50 BBs will not roll over, so any BBs not used at the end of the month will be forfeited.
Boutique program for residents
The New Beginnings’ Boutique Program consists of new and gently used items available for purchase. Boutique Bucks (BBs) are earned through participating in secondary goal programming such as counseling, attending school, and volunteering. Residents can begin earning BBs upon entrance into the program, and can continue to earn BBs throughout their stay. Throughout the week, residents will ask staff to initial for each hour of secondary goal programming by using the “Boutique Program Secondary Goal Programming Tracker.” Please note that proof of participation must be handed in (i.e. a signed appointment sheet, proof of school attendance, etc.) to receive staff initials. Staff will award the resident with appropriate BBs for each secondary goal completed.
Residents have the option to spend BBs in the boutique upon request. BBs can be saved up for larger, more expensive, items. If a resident wishes to purchase a larger item that they already have (such as an upgraded pack n play), the resident has the option to trade in the item they currently have for the newer item. If a resident trades an item of relatively equal value in, then she will only be charged 1⁄2 of the item price. Any BBs that are not redeemed in the boutique before a resident moves out will be forfeited. If the resident moves out unexpectedly, she may not be able to redeem her BBs per staff discretion. Necessity baby items such as diapers, wipes, baby wash, diaper cream, etc. can be redeemed for free upon request for residents residing at New Beginnings.
Boutique for Life Program for residents
All mothers who stay in the New Beginnings’ program for three or more months and leave on good terms are eligible to participate in the Boutique for Life (BfL) program. Residents who are interested in participating in BfL must apply prior to moving out of their residence at New Beginnings. Applicants who qualify for BfL will be allowed to return to the New Beginnings Boutique once per month where they will receive an allowance of 50 Boutique Bucks (BBs) to purchase items.
BfL participants will be required to set up an appointment with a staff member prior to visiting the boutique. Should a BfL participant not return for any given month, her 50 BBs for that month will be forfeited; BBs cannot be rolled over to the next month. However, if a BfL participant would like to save up her BBs for an approved item exceeding 50 BBs, she may request to do so by calling or visiting New Beginnings once per each month she would like to save.
The New Beginnings’ Boutique Program consists of new and gently used items available for purchase. New Beginnings cannot guarantee that we will have any particular items in stock at all times as we depend on donations to stock our boutique. Mothers participating in the Boutique for Life program are required to purchase all items, including necessity items. Only the individual listed on the application qualifies for redeeming items from the boutique.
