by Kaitlin Jackson
Events set for Erie, Chautauqua and Niagara Counties

A family enjoying last year’s WIC Healthy baby Festival in Niagara Falls.
Expectant and young families are invited to five Healthy Baby Festivals planned for three counties during July and August by Catholic Charities Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The free events offer activities for children and information for parents and run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at sites in Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties.
Festival dates and locations are: Lockport in Altro Park on July 29; Jamestown in Allen Park, July 30; Niagara Falls in Hyde Park at the splash pad, July 31; Dunkirk in Washington Park, Aug. 1; and Buffalo in Delaware Park corner of Colvin Avenue and Amherst Street, Aug. 2.
Also featured will be games, face painting, crafts, educational resources, prizes and giveaways. The Buffalo, Dunkirk and Niagara Falls festivals will include the Buffalo Zoomobile, and the Jamestown festival will include the St. Bonaventure University Quick Center for the Arts ArtMobile. Families are encouraged to pack a picnic lunch.
Catholic Charities WIC hosts the events in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7), to raise awareness about the significance and benefits that breastfeeding provides.
The Healthy Baby Festivals will be supported by more than 50 local community agencies across the three counties, offering resources and activities.
All are encouraged to attend, especially expectant mothers, families and caregivers. Anyone interested in learning more about breastfeeding or in support of the importance of a healthy start for babies is welcome.
“Our Catholic Charities WIC Healthy Baby Festivals are not only fun for families, but they’re also a wonderful resource for information about infant and child safety, nutrition, breastfeeding and so much more,” said Judette Dahleiden, director of Catholic Charities WIC. “We really encourage expectant and young families to come out and spend the afternoon with us.”
The events receive assistance from the annual Appeal in support of Catholic Charities, and are sponsored in part by BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. The Buffalo event is also sponsored in part by the Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network.
No registration is required. For more information, call (716) 218-1484 ext. 2411, or go to ccwny.org/calendar.
Catholic Charities administers WIC in Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties. The program served more than 17,000 women and children up to the age of five in 19 locations in the three counties in 2018.
WIC offers nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, prenatal and postpartum support, referrals and supplemental food vouchers. WIC services are available through application to married or single parents, foster parents or other legal guardians of a child under five. All services offered are free of charge.
For more information about WIC, go to ccwny.org/wic, or call 716-218-1484.
Catholic Charities has helped individuals and families in need since its founding in 1923. That need is varied and widespread – from emergency assistance to counseling and from specialized services for the elderly to help with job training and education. Catholic Charities empowers children, families and seniors to achieve meaningful, healthy and productive lives. In all situations, Catholic Charities delivers support to meet immediate needs, and then assess its clients for other needs to ensure long-term success.
Catholic Charities receives the highest-possible rating (four stars) from Charity Navigator for transparency and sound fiscal management and the highest ratings from the Council on Accreditation for quality service.
For further information about the organization and its services, contact Catholic Charities at (716) 856-4494 or go to ccwny.org. You can also check out Catholic Charities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ccbuffalo, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ccbuffalo and on Instagram at Instagram.com/catholiccharitiesbuffalo.