Denver Health Makes Sure Newborns Have All They Need

DENVER (CBS) - A newborn should be a bundle of joy for the family, but sometimes families need a little help taking care of the little ones.

Noemi Mendez and her husband welcomed their newest addition, Alex Noel this fall. The baby boy joined a brother and sister when he arrived at Denver Health Medical Center.

For the family originally from Mexico, the medical care was almost beyond words.

"They take such good care of us," Noemi told CBS4's Karen Leigh through an interpreter. "They are really careful."

For the staff at Denver Health, that attention doesn't stop when the baby is born. They know many families need a little extra help with baby items.

That's where the Newborns in Need program comes in. Robin Engleburg runs it for the Denver Health Foundation.

"Every baby gets a beautiful bag of brand new baby items," she said. "Clothing, sweaters, sweatshirts, diapers, wipes, bibs, booties, baby shampoo, lotion."

Some of those donations include handmade items, like baby blankets, but each small donation is a gift of warmth and security for a huge need.

"For moms living below the poverty level which is 90 percent of the babies born here," Engleburg said, "everything can be a challenge for a family's budget."

Denver Health delivers about 3,650 babies a year, so that translates into a lot of families who need a little help.

Every one of those gift bags have about $100 worth of items. They are items Engleburg hopes will give each infant a bright beginning.

"We are trying to make it as beautiful as possible because we know these babies deserve it."

LINK: Newborns In Need Program