Nanny Support Group Community Unity Service: Spring 2010

By Andrea Flagg, Nanny and Co-Founder of Nanny Alliance of New York and New Jersey

In the Fall of 2007 I met with several of the leaders from Nanny Support Groups across the United States while attending Nannypalooza. I admired all the group leaders and how each and every group supported the nannies who were their members.

As we were discussing the types of events our nanny groups hosted, a few mentioned that they participated in community service. This was one area my group, Nanny Alliance of New York and New Jersey was lacking in. Hearing the other groups experience with volunteering inspired me.

At my group’s next meeting I brought up the idea and was pleased to hear the response of suggestions and ideas our members shared. That winter we helped two organizations by collecting items for the local food bank, and then hats, gloves, and scarf’s for the homeless.

In April, 2008 my group banned together with National Association for Nanny Care (NANC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for Week of the Young Child where Nanny Alliance of NY & NJ’s efforts collected over 750 books for two community centers in the Tri-state NJ, NY, and CT area.

It felt great participating in these events and helping our community! It was wonderful to spend time with the ladies and demonstrate that nannies are caring individuals who are responsible and community-oriented. Having such a positive experience left me wanting to do even more!

In March, 2010 I presented an idea to the nanny support group leaders for us all to ban together where each of our groups chose a form of community service to represent. My goal was to keep it simple and let the groups decide on who, where and what type of event they wanted to partake in.

Nannies are such loving, giving souls and the response was excellent! So, Nanny Support Group Community Unity Spring 2010 was created!

The Association of DC Area Nannies (ADCAN) is supporting the National Center for Children & Families in Washington DC and Maryland for the entire Spring season. Collections will include summer camp items, art supplies, and baby supplies. They will collect supplies at their March, April, and May meetings which are held on the third Sunday of each month. ADCAN has done work with the organization in the past year and they are have been wonderful and appreciative. They provide foster care, transitional housing, a homeless shelter, battered women services, summer camp programs, and the list goes on. To learn more about this organization please visit their website at: http://www.nccf-cares.org/

The Boston Area Nanny Support Group (BANSG) in Boston, MA and the surrounding suburbs is supporting the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. On May 1, 2010 BANSG will provide childcare during the yearly regional conference held at the Perkins School for the Blind for parents of visually impaired preschoolers. They are counselors for the day in a well-organized "camp" for the impaired children and their sighted siblings.

Their participation allows parents of an impaired child to learn hope and strategies for raising and educating a blind or visually impaired (often multi-impaired) child, and to meet and talk with other parents who are meeting the same challenges. It is not unusual that they are the first people these parents have ever been able to trust to care for their handicapped child, and that this conference marks their first hours away from focusing on the direct care of their child!

Central Florida Nannies in Orlando and surrounding areas is supporting the March of Dimes April 24, 2010 in Orlando, FL.

CincyNanny Community of the greater Cincinnati Area will participate in "Go Cincinnati" one of the largest serve projects in that cities' history on May 15, 2010.They will be assigned to a project that directly influences children.

The Denver Area Nanny Association is having a children's book drive in the month of April in the Denver, CO area. The group will deliver new and gently used children's books to lower income area pediatric clinics Brett's Place which is a Ronald McDonald type home for families and their children who have cancer and a women's shelter, The Gathering Place. They are going to encourage the members of the group to try and involve their charges in selecting some of their books to donate.

The Northshore Professional Nanny Alliance will host a book drive for the Next Door Foundation -- an organization that provides books to inner-city children in Wisconsin. They will also be volunteering in their Read to Me program. Nannies will read to small groups of three, four, and five-year-olds at Next Door Foundation on Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

The Northwest Nanny Association of the Seattle area will be collecting new and gently used books, as well as other infant and child related items. They will be donating all items to Childhaven in Washington State. Childhaven's four western Washington branch centers provide therapeutic childcare and early childhood education to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers who have suffered from or are at risk of abuse and neglect. The nanny support group is encouraging all nanny members to have the children and the families they work for get involved. Several nanny members from the group will personally be delivering the items at the end of April.

Nanny Alliance of New York & New Jersey is a nanny support group for the tri-state NY, NJ, and CT area. On April 25, 2010 the group will join with others for the March of Dimes Walk for Babies in Mahwah, NJ. The walk gives hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money raised supports programs in the community that help mothers have healthy, full-term pregnancies. As well as, funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies. If you’d like to support the March of Dimes please make your donation by clicking here.

Once our events take place, I will gather input and photos from each groups day to share.

Thank you,
Andrea Flagg
Nanny Alliance of New York & New Jersey