Lynbrook Kiwanis Club hosts baby shower for mothers in need

Dozens of baby clothes lined the banister of the staircase in Susan DeSena’s home. In her living room, there were boxes upon boxes of diapers, T-shirts, pajamas and other items.
It was all part of the Lynbrook Kiwanis Club’s baby shower to benefit mothers of newborns at South Nassau Communities Hospital, in Oceanside, who are in need.
“The purpose behind it is to get baby items for local needy mothers in our area,” Kiwanis President Denise Rogers said. “This is our first and hopefully we’ll make it an annual event.”
After a 14-year hiatus, Rogers helped recreate the club and it met for the first time in March 2017. Since then, the members have held many events to help the community. They have included a pancake breakfast to benefit a scholarship that will be awarded to Lynbrook High School Key Club members in memory of late former Mayor William Hendrick and a gift card donation to homeless families in the village.
Rogers said the Oceanside and Peninsula Kiwanis clubs have helped guide the Lynbrook group. She added that it now has 33 members and continues to add more. “We’re growing in membership,” she said,” and we’re growing with ways that we an help the community.”

Several members went to DeSena’s house to celebrate the baby shower on May 10. The items were donated by members, local families and teachers at Lynbrook South Middle School. Diapers, clothes, hats, wipes, pacifiers, bottles and bath supplies wer part of the collection.
“We have boxes of diapers,” Rogers said. “We have boxes of wipes. You see all the clothes that everybody donated. We’ll be able to help a lot of mothers.”
DeSena said her husband Ralph is the lieutenant governor-elect of the Peninsula Kiwanis district, and that she jumped at the chance to host the baby shower.
“I just get a thrill from this,” she said. “So all those women who don’t have anything and they have this little baby, and this little baby needs his or her things. Now look what they have. I just think it’s a nice thing and everybody in the district came through.”
The Kiwanis Club is hosting a murder mystery event at McQuade’s Neighborhood Grill, at 275 Merrick Road in Lynbrook, on May 18 at 7 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Developmental Disabilities Institute, a service provider for autistic children across Long Island.
To become a member of Lynbrook Kiwanis, contact Rogers at drogers@snb.com or (516) 887-3100. The club meets on the third Thursday of every month at Angelina’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 33 Atlantic Ave. in Lynbrook.