Special baby shower held for 50 military moms-to-be

A group of deserving moms-to-be in our area received a special baby shower to coincide with Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

A partnership between Operation Homefront and Booz Allen Hamilton brought 50 local military moms together in Springfield, Va., on Friday.

"Showering moms with some love because we know that they are apart from their families and often won't get a shower from their own families, so we're going to do it for them today," said Cyndi Lucas with Operation Homefront.

Jolene Morales just gave birth to an adorable baby boy six weeks ago.

"It's about giving back to the military for me because me and my husband are both active duty, so it's just a way to get pampered because you're away from home," said Morales. "We didn't get a baby shower and a lot of these moms probably won't."

The mothers had a chance to pick up and choose through many baby essentials and even gifts that required a bit more love and care such as homemade blankets. The program benefits families who need assistance.

"It's for active duty and we serve the low to mid-ranks," said Lucas. "The youngest families, the lower earning families, so we're really targeting the folks that need the most assistance."

"It means a lot," said mother Uniqua Marbury. "It's actually a great starter package. Everything that we need we're basically getting here for the big arrival."

In addition to the baby items, the mothers received free infant CPR classes.

If you would like to learn more about the program, visit www.operationhomefront.net.