Nonprofit throwing baby shower for young mother

DOBBINS HEIGHTS — Madison’s Place, the soon-to-be 501c3 organization that aims to help young mothers through the early period of childcare and provide other support, will hold a baby shower for a local mother next week.

Melanie Richardson founded Madison’s to help people who are in a similar situation to the one she found herself in at 18 years old. Richardson received approval from the Dobbins Heights Town Council in April to rent 123 Earle Franklin Dr., the white house at the entrance to the town that is currently in disrepair, at $1 per year which she is working to renovate and use as an emergency shelter and counseling center for Richmond County mothers in need.

The renovations are expected to cost between $30,000-$40,000, and the she expects to hear back on her application for 501c3 status in July. Richardson hopes to be able to open the home by the end of the year. In the meantime, she wanted to find a way to support mothers and landed on baby showers, which provide expecting mothers with essential items needed for infant care. Madison’s will gift some of the items, such as diapers, wipes, and clothes, and the mother’s family will provide what they can.

Richardson wasn’t able to have a baby shower when she was pregnant, and felt this contributed to her feelings of disconnection from her friends, who were continuing on with their teenage years.

“[The baby shower] will take some of the stress off of the mother from wondering ‘how am I going to afford all these things?’ especially if it’s a teen mother that is in need,” Richardson said.

Richmond County mothers between the ages of 15 and 21 are encouraged to apply by going to the “Madison’s Place, Inc” Facebook page or by going to https://tinyurl.com/267drw6u. The showers are thrown for those in the most need and for those who show that they are making an effort to support themselves.

Madison’s also provides other means of support, such as transportation to doctor’s appointments and eviction prevention.

The first baby shower is being thrown for 17-year-old Becolia Smith, of Rockingham, who is due Oct. 2. She has been working part-time, and found out about Madison’s Place through her manager at work. Smith has invited about 20 of her closest family members and friends to her shower, which she said she wouldn’t have been able to have were it not for Madison’s.

“I’m very excited about it because a lot of people don’t support teen mothers,” Smith said in an interview. “I haven’t started my career … so it helps me out a lot to be able to get this stuff from people.”

“I’m just grateful for anything I can get,” she continued.

Smith expressed her gratitude to Richardson, saying she’s “been a big help.”