Morganton Rotary Clubs and Blue Ridge HealthCare team up to empower new parents

Representatives from the three Morganton Rotary Clubs, delegates from Rotary District 7670 and Morganton Mayor Mel Cohen, joined Blue Ridge Health-care representatives in announcing a new program offered at Grace Hospital.
The press conference held Monday introduced the "Begin With the Children" project created by World Peace Parents Foundation (WPPF).
President of the Rotary Club of Morganton, Alan Clark said, "The goal is to work to-gether to build strong families."
Following the birth of a child, parents are offered information on the program and asked to watch a 14-minute DVD "Chat with Your Baby."
"This is an opportunity to connect with their child and make a commitment to that child," Clark said. "The project fills a need new parents have."
Starting in June, volunteers with Blue Ridge HealthCare will present parents of newborns at Grace the video within 48 hours of a child's birth.
Organizers call it an opportunity of a lifetime that may transcend generational bonds.
Rotarian and developer of the project, Vibert Kesler of Ohio worked with New York Times Bestselling Author Richard Paul Evans, who is seen on the DVD relating the im-portant lessons for parents.
Kesler hopes to focus on what he calls the "magic moment" in the hospital following the baby's birth.
This vulnerable time for parents allows them to be more receptive to the life-altering decision to teach their child as they grow in the three principals shared in the video: love, responsibility and values.
The volunteers will be trained how to present the DVD package to new parents and an-swer questions they may have.
Only those who choose to participate in the program will receive additional resources from "Begin with the Children," further equipping the new family unit to become a pros-perous element of the community.
"Blue Ridge HealthCare is pleased that the Burke County Rotary Clubs brought this pro-ject to us," said Kenneth W. Wood, BRHC's president and CEO. "The DVD brings great perspective to new parents on what they can expect as their child grows, and it adds to our ability as a hospital to provide a holistic approach to the care we provide parents and their newborns. Parents will be touched by what they see and hear on the Chat DVD."
Using a photographic journal of four children, narrators take parents through discussions and situations they face throughout a lifetime of raising a child.
Wood said, "As a Rotarian myself, I believe the project will have long-term benefits for families."
Having three children born at Grace Hospital, Mayor Mel Cohen said, "We need all the help we can get as parents."
The WWPF came about from a service project of the Rotary Club of Garrettsville-Hiram, Ohio. The foundation considered information gained from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study in 2006 to develop the project to strengthen families and the commu-nity.
"I believe the results of this program is that many parents will make the resolution to be good parents and make moral decisions that will change not only Burke County, but the world," Kesler said.
Reminded of their lifetime commitment not only by looking into the eyes of their child, parents are encouraged to sign and hang the "Parent's Pledge" in the baby's room as a daily reminder.
"What better opportunity we have than to provide our mothers the chance to watch "Chat with Your Baby,'" Pauletta Thomas, VP of Nursing at BRHC said.
With one third of new parents at BRHC being under the age of 18, Thomas said this will be a tremendous help.
"I think the way the DVD is outlined with the three cornerstone principles, this builds the foundation of the child's life," she said. "It provides parents a sense of responsibility, develops values and ability to make good decisions and look at mistakes that are made and make changes," Thomas said.
Resources will be provided to participating parents through monthly newsletter e-mails of the KinderKronicle up to age 17.
For more information on "Begin with the Children" go to www.beginwiththechildren.com.