Health Coalition of Passaic County and Q4HE Provide Resources to Mothers and Babies

To kick off *Maternal Health Awareness Day*, Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) teamed up with the Health Coalition of Passaic County (HCPC) at their Maternal Health Awareness Resource Day open to mothers in underserved communities in Paterson, New Jersey.

Mothers received free resources, such as diapers, women’s health products, health education, children’s educational resources, and more. Multiple partnering organizations of HCPC tabled and provided additional free resources.

This year, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a resolution
<https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/maternal_health_awareness_day_resolution_2023.pdf>
recognizing January 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day. In 2018, New Jersey became the first state to recognize January 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day through the work of vital organizations that work to help spread awareness and stop maternal mortality across the state.

“Partnering with the Health Coalition of Passaic County and representing Quest for Health Equity by being a member of their Women’s Health Task Force allows us to collectively and positively impact communities,”
said *Bonnie Reyna*, Director, Q4HE. “The mothers and children who attended this Maternal Health Awareness Resource Day event received real-time counseling from diverse community agencies, free wellness resources, and free diapers. In this economy, the opportunity to connect in a dignified and trustworthy way is invaluable.”

The mission of the Health Coalition of Passaic County (HCPC) <https://healthcoalitionpc.org/> is to significantly improve health equity and overall quality of life for residents of the greater Passaic County area by specifically addressing social determinants of health through a dedicated, thriving, and sustainable community coalition of multi-sector organizations, local government, academic, and faith-based partners. As one of the 4 Regional Health Hubs, HCPC also works with regional and state partners to develop strategic priorities, incorporate best practices, and build upon lessons learned to further support the communities served.