Second Stork Makes Special Deliveries
September 21, 2022
Welcoming a child into the world should be a moment of joy and hope. However, for some families, that moment is terrifying. For a myriad of reasons, they might not be prepared to care for the child. Bringing a baby home from the hospital without any support or resources isn’t just frightening, it’s dangerous.
In 2007, a hospital employee explained to Deb Rubbelke O’Halloran ’76 how that moment can feel for families that lack resources.
“She talked about discharging a parent with a brand new baby, and they’re terrified,” O’Halloran remembered. “Their lower lip is quivering. They’re in crisis. And they don’t have what they need to keep that baby safe. And the best she could do is tell them about places to call, forms to fill out, places to stand in line. She hated it.”
In the best of situations, a newborn is overwhelming. For these parents, the idea of adding on applications, forms, or telling them to stand in lines was unthinkable. The woman explained to O’Halloran what she wished she had — “a magic closet.”
This closet would be filled with the essentials that would keep a baby safe for those first vulnerable weeks. Diapers, a place to sleep, clothing if they needed it. There wouldn’t be any testing or applications to confirm their need, nor any arduous records to be maintained by the hospital, instead just the solid judgment of nurses and social workers to be sure a parent in true need received the support they lacked. Unfortunately, she said, that was impossible in the times of red tape and bureaucracy.
O’Halloran and her team accepted the challenge.
They developed Second Stork, which now provides that magic closet for more than 100 hospitals across Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
They pack thousands of baby bags every year, each bag with 100 diapers, baby wipes, a hygiene pack (with a changing pad, baby detergent, baby lotion, diaper ointment, and baby wash), and a simple children’s book explaining how to prevent SIDS. These are the essentials — the things that will keep a baby safe for those first two weeks until parents can get on their feet.
“We know there is so much more these families need,” said O’Halloran. “But we are a rung on a ladder. We hear that a lot from social workers — that this is a bridge during a really tough time. The next rung on a ladder might be another program, but right now, someone just gave birth. She’s getting discharged with a newborn. She can’t apply for a program or stand in line right now. She just needs to keep that baby safe and healthy for a couple of weeks until she can take that next step.”
It Takes a Village
Many members of the Second Stork team are CDH alumni. O’Halloran couldn’t stop singing their praises.
LAURIE MCDONNELL BOLAND ’76, BOARD MEMBER | “Laurie has been involved for a very long time. She ran collection drives for us, and now is an incredible addition to the board. She’s very smart, always asks really good questions, makes good observations and suggestions.”
HUGH CULLEN ’77, SUPPORTER | “We couldn’t be here without Hugh. He donates the warehouse space we run the organization out of, and he’s shown incredible steadfast support to us over the years.”
MATT MICHALSKI ’87, CO-FOUNDER AND BOARD MEMBER | “Matt has been our rock. He and his family show up any time we have a disaster and get things done. He’s a radio personality and he talks about Second Stork with a down-to-earth passion that really resonates with people.”
BRIAN MILLER ’02, BOARD MEMBER | “Brian and his wife have two little girls, two full time jobs, and yet they give and give and give. They always show up, I don’t know where they find the time. Brian has also helped us build systems to analyze our data and make sure we’re doing the right things. They’re both incredibly steadfast.”
MARY ALICE RITT NOEL ’76, BOARD MEMBER | “She’s the poster child of a perfect board member. She jumps on every committee and helped us become the lead nonprofit of a massive convention. She is incredibly smart and passionate, and has phenomenal follow-through.”