Military moms treated to baby shower at Fort Benning's Kelley Hill Recreation Center
Posted by admin | Posted in baby shower | Posted on 28-04-2012-05-2008
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seven months pregnant with her second child, military mom Ashley Broughton knows about the challenges of taking care of family while her husband is deployed.
“It worked OK when we were first married,” Broughton said of her husband, Sgt. Jeremy Broughton, who is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “I could do a lot of things to keep myself busy, like going to school. It’s harder with a child because of separation. I have to be mother and father and run the household.”
Broughton and nearly 200 other expectant moms received a helping hand Friday with a huge baby shower at the Kelley Hill Recreation Center at Fort Benning. Sponsored by Carter’s Inc., Kids In Distressed Situations and Operation Homefront Georgia, the shower treated expectant mothers to lunch and a gift bag filled with clothes, gift certificates and other items.
Broughton, who has a 3-year-old daughter, said the event meant a lot to her family.
“It means a lot to me as a military mom,” said Broughton, from Wetumpka, Ala. “I am away from my family. they try to support me as much as they can but you don’t get all the support you really need.”
Kim Scofi, president of Operation Homefront Georgia, said the organization was excited about its first shower at Fort Benning to celebrate military motherhood.
“We heard there was a lot of expectant moms down here and we want to be part of giving them goodies to take home,” she said.
In addition to the gifts, expectant moms received information on everything from changing diapers to taking care of the mother and family after the baby is born.
“Education is vital,” Scofi said. “We want to make sure these moms-to-be have everything they need as they go forward.”
Scofi said there are strong military women taking care of the home front when their husbands are gone. “We want them to know there are other people out there with their struggles,” she said. “It’s not uncharted territory.”
For Staff Sgt. Colin Wallace, the timing just seems right for her and former soldier husband Kyle to have their first child. The couple had endured constant deployments and separations before she became pregnant two days after their sixth anniversary. her husband is now attending Columbus State University.
“I’m really excited and couldn’t be in a better place,” said Wallace, who is three months pregnant and works in labor and delivery at Martin Army Community Hospital. “I’m really excited to be here at Fort Benning. There is a lot of support that goes on in the military. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be balance.”
The couple is wishing for a son. “We want a little boy but we are happy either way,” she said.