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What We Do

Layettes

What's a Layette?

A layette is a bag or a backpack, loaded with essentials for newborns. More than 135 years ago, Mary Virginia Merrick made a layette for a new mother-in-need, saw a need for more, got her friends involved, and the Christ Child Society was born. Today, it's not unusual for chapters to enlist the help of local high school students when they need to pack thousands of items. 

Christ Child is the second oldest Catholic-rooted charity in the United States. Only St. Vincent de Paul is older. Today, our members represent a variety of faiths who carry out the faith-driven vision of Mary Virginia Merrick. 
 

Layettes are our signature program, done by all 45 chapters. Beyond that, every chapter serves its community in its own way. The picture below features our Toledo members. We all want to do good. Christ Child provides the opportunities.

The bags are packed! Now, it's time to deliver them. 

Christ Child chapters partner with hundreds of agencies, schools, hospitals and social service organizations across the country to get layettes into the hands of those who really need them. 

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