The Fredericksburg Department of Social Services (FDSS) has been awarded a $1,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s Local Facility Giving Program. These funds will be used to support FDSS’ Safe Sleep Campaign. Specifically, funds will be used to increase our outreach and collaboration with select community partners. FDSS will use a portion of the funds to purchase marketing materials for distribution to the community by FDSS, Mary Washington Healthcare, Healthy Families, City Schools, the Thurman Brisben Center and area Health Departments. Remaining funds will be used to purchase portable cribs.
The Department kicked off a “Safe Sleep Campaign” in October of 2012. The campaign’s intention is to educate parents and caretakers regarding the risks of co-sleeping with their infants. Many are not aware that suffocation is currently the leading cause of preventable death for infants with the majority of these suffocation fatalities occurring in the sleeping environment. For more information, please go to our website: www.fredericksburgva.gov.
Since the program’s inception, the Department has distributed 47 portable cribs (average cost is $60). The Safe Sleep Campaign is funded through the generosity of donors and community fund raising events. According to the award letter, “We believe that your organization is doing important work to the communities you serve, and we are proud that we are able to support you in your efforts”.