10/08/2026
Today is the Richland County Community Baby Shower, and as we prepare to welcome families from across our community, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how this event began and just how far it has come.
The story actually starts back in 2016, when Brittany Schock, a journalist with Richland Source, began reporting on infant mortality in Richland County through her Healing Hope series.
Her reporting examined some difficult realities facing mothers and babies in our community, including barriers to prenatal care, education, and access to resources. But rather than simply reporting on the challenges, Brittany and the team at Richland Source began exploring how journalism could help bring people together to address them.
That work helped inspire something pretty remarkable.
On September 9, 2017, Richland Source hosted the first Richland County Community Baby Shower. More than 500 people attended, connecting with approximately 20 community organizations offering education, resources, and support for healthy pregnancies and babies.
What started as a journalism project had become something much bigger.
And over the years, the event has continued to evolve.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Richland County Youth and Family Council helped organize a drive-through Community Baby Shower at Crossroads Church, ensuring families could still access resources during an incredibly challenging time.
In the years that followed, Help Me Grow helped carry the tradition forward, continuing to bring community partners together in support of local families.
In 2024, the Community Health Access Project (CHAP), alongside the Richland County Youth and Family Council and our community partners, had the opportunity to help continue that work.
And today, in 2026, here we are.
Nearly ten years later, the organizations, locations, and faces involved may have changed, but the purpose behind this event hasn't.
It's still about connecting families with the resources, education, and support they need to give their children a healthy start.
I especially want to recognize Brittany Schock and the team at Richland Source for helping bring this idea to life. It's pretty incredible to think that a series of articles written nearly a decade ago helped spark an event that continues to bring hundreds of people together in support of mothers and babies.
In fact, the event was featured in a 2018 national publication, Current, highlighting how Richland Source used community journalism to turn reporting on a difficult issue into meaningful community action.
You can read that story here:
https://current.org/2018/10/with-community-baby-shower-ohio-news-outlet-puts-healthy-spin-on-depressing-topic/
One thing from that article really stood out to me. Brittany explained that they intentionally didn't name the event after Richland Source because they wanted the community to take ownership of it.
And I think that's exactly what has happened.
Different organizations have stepped up over the years, each bringing something new while preserving the original purpose. No single organization owns this event. It belongs to the community.
CHAP is proud to play a part in continuing that legacy.
To Brittany, Richland Source, the Richland County Youth and Family Council, Help Me Grow, and every organization, sponsor, volunteer, and community member who has contributed over the years, thank you.
This is what community partnership is supposed to look like.
Now, let's celebrate another year of supporting Richland County families!
🎉 2026 Richland County Community Baby Shower
📅 TODAY, October 8
🕛 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 Mid-Ohio Conference Center, Mansfield
We can't wait to see everyone! 💙
