West Bridgewater nonprofit offers support for moms, affordable baby products
WEST BRIDGEWATER -- From onesies to strollers, diapers, and formula, Keeping Pace With Multiple Miracles in West Bridgewater is an affordable one-stop shop for moms.
It all started 30 years ago after Pam Pace and Donna Baker both gave birth to triplets. Pace and Baker met at a mother's group in Milton and began bonding over the challenges of being moms to multiples.
"I think I had baby spit up on my shoulder. I definitely had not washed my hair or brushed my teeth, she hadn't either. She crossed her leg, and she had a lollipop stuck to her inner ankle. I just looked at her with black bags under my eyes and I said, 'How are you doing?' We went and got tea together and started talking about how in a perfect world, you could go and get love and support and learn from your peers and other seasoned moms who've been there and done that before you," Pace recalled to WBZ.
Now a 501 C-3 nonprofit, everything inside the store is donated. The average price of a onesie is just two dollars. But local moms say you can't put a price on the emotional support and resources available here.
"It's been a great community. So many friendly faces and it gave us a destination in the beginning, a place to go and practice getting out of the house. It's been wonderful to meet moms of multiples to swap stories and get tips that can help out," said Kim Gamache, mom to twins Mia and Max.
In addition to affordable baby gear, Keeping Pace offers a special support group for moms of multiples and breastfeeding moms who can take free classes led by international board-certified lactation consultants at The Baby Café.
"It's awesome because you can talk to other people about the same struggles, and everyone has struggles. Motherhood is hard," shared mom Monika Ludvikova, who attended Baby Café with her first child.
At the Tiny Table Baby Food Pantry, the formula is free to any family who needs it. Parents can get two cans of formula a week plus jars of baby food by showing their baby's birth certificate and a photo ID.
"It's so nice to have support. I'm a second-time mom and I still don't know if I'm doing it right. You have professionals helping you and they just make you feel like it's OK, and it's nice to be with other moms too," mom Kerry Flood told WBZ.
"It's like a dream come true for me and Donna because it was the dream from the beginning to have something like this. And we get to see these babies grow up. That's the reward, seeing these moms and dads completely slay parenthood cause we feel we had a little bit to do with that," Pace told WBZ.
Baby Café, Story Hour, Twins and Triplets Support Group and a Dad Support Group are all free. Other classes are fee-based but Pace says if they see a single mom or dad in need, they will give away scholarships to classes.
"We don't ever want someone to not attend a group or a class just because they can't afford it," Pace explained.
Pace and Baker also use store proceeds to provide diapers for families with twins and triplets for their first year of life, completely free of charge.
"When mommas happy, everyone is happy. So that's what we strive to create for the whole family," Pace said.
To learn more about the resources and classes available visit Keeping Pace's website.