January 18, 2006

Church of the Palms
3324 Bee Ridge Road
Sarasota, Fl 34239

Re: The “Bassinet Program”

Dear Members of the Congregation:

I would like to take this opportunity to again express our appreciation of your ongoing support of our Healthy Start clients and program. The Church members are a very caring and giving group committed to the welfare of our County's most vulnerable citizens, the children. We are very blessed to have such a generous and compassionate group of people in our community.

Healthy Start works with the highest risk pregnant women and their families in the County. The families that benefit from your “bassinet program” are high risk for poor outcomes relative to fetal and infant mortality. Without your ongoing support of the “bassinet program”, I am sure that some infants in our County would be at greater risk. These are families that are economically disadvantaged. They are families that do not have the traditional “nursery” or would even have the room for a larger crib. Many of the homes are small and the families often all sleep in the same room. This program assures the infantstheir own safe place to sleep if the family does not have the resources to secure a crib.

On behalf of these families and my staff, I thank you for your generosity and giving spirit.

Sincerely,

Shelley Rence, MA