Nov 2025 Newsletter
A Message from Danielle
As we close out this year, I am filled with gratitude and awe for what this community has made possible for families across Columbus.
Because here’s the truth: supporting families isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s life-saving work.
This year, our programming allowed us to connect with over 4,200 people, offering hands-on support, education, and opportunities to come together as a community. We distributed more than 13,000 diapers, shared information at 791 community events, and secured over $2 million in funding to strengthen neighborhoods and invest in local nonprofits across Columbus.
We pushed for real change: advocating at the Statehouse for doula reimbursements, infant home visiting, and crucial infant vitality funding in the state budget. Petitioning for a Qualified Allocation Plan that centers housing access for pregnant and newly parenting families. We continued to support local families through our partnership with the Central Ohio Hospital Council and Ohio Better Birth Outcomes, ensuring that every new family receives a sleep sack this winter.
This year also marked a defining moment for CelebrateOne: our first-ever Policy Summit. We brought partners, providers, and leaders together to confront the root causes shaping maternal and infant health in Columbus and to begin building the systems families deserve. The Policy Summit reinforced our role as an organization leading at the systems level, challenging silos, and driving solutions that last.
Thank you to every partner, connector, parent, supporter, and neighbor who walked beside us this year. 2026 will be the year we take this work to the next level — leading boldly, shifting systems, reshaping what’s possible for families, and setting the bar for maternal and infant health in our city.
- Danielle P. Tong | Executive Director
In Case You Missed It
We have had some incredible events this Fall. Check out what you might have missed below.
CelebrateOne’s First Birthday Bash
In October, we celebrated our littlest community members at our First Birthday Bash at COSI! Because it was an after-hours event, families had the entire museum to themselves, making the night even more special. In partnership with COSI, we were thrilled to gift 176 memberships to families.
Babies who turned, or will turn, one in 2025 were the stars of the evening, with lots of fun activities including smash cake photos and even a rat basketball game demonstration.
It was a joyful celebration of life, milestones, and family memories.
Field of Angels
In September, we hosted the Field of Angels at City Hall, a moving tribute to infants lost before their first birthday over the past 10 years in Franklin County.
A moving installation of 1,539 white pinwheels covered the City Hall lawn - each representing a baby lost between 2014 and 2024.
Behind every pinwheel is a family changed forever, a story of grief and love, and a birthday that will never be celebrated. The event included remarks from Mayor Andrew Ginther, a real story of loss, and offered a moment of remembrance for the community.
Safe Starts Infant Safety Training
We hosted a Safe Starts Infant Safety Training at the REEB Center, where attendees learned about infant CPR, drowning prevention, car seat safety, lead poisoning prevention, and much more.
Participants also received a free meal, a safety bag with helpful baby-proofing items, and, if qualified, a Pack ’n Play.
If you or your organization would like to hold your own infant safety class, please contact our Infant Safety and Vitality Manager, Tiffany Groce, at TMGroce@columbus.gov.
Trunk or Treat Car Seat Check
Our first Trunk or Treat Car Seat Check was a success!
We connected with 41 community members and completed 17 car seat checks. Two families even left with brand-new car seats to help keep their babies safe.
A fun day with learning and laughter for everyone!
Untold Stories
Some stories live quietly in the shadows; whispered in hospital rooms, tucked away in silence. But silence can’t heal. Silence can’t connect. Silence can’t change what families are facing every single day.
That’s why CelebrateOne launched Untold Stories: Journeys of Resilience and Hope in October, a six-month video series bringing hidden truths about pregnancy, parenting, and motherhood into the light. These are stories of both joy and heartbreak - stories that remind us what’s at stake and that no family should ever have to walk this path alone.
Our series began with Tiffany’s story in October, in recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Tiffany’s journey is one of grief, love, and the strength it takes to keep moving forward, honoring every family who has endured loss and opening the door for more voices to be heard.
In November, we shared Rachel’s story, which highlights the mental health challenges mothers can face and the difficulties of navigating a complex healthcare system. Rachel’s experience shows how overwhelming it can be when your concerns aren’t heard and how critical it is to have consistent support, listening, and compassion to help mothers get the care they need.
New episodes of Untold Stories will release on the first Friday of each month through March 2026. The series will culminate in a panel event in the spring, where families, caregivers, and the community can continue these critical conversations in person.
Watch the stories today, share widely, and stand with families.
Because no family should have to face these journeys alone.
Support Families This Season
Families in Columbus are facing challenging times, and the need for support has never been greater. At recent City pop-up resource events, CelebrateOne provided 4,000 diapers to families whose SNAP benefits were delayed, helping babies stay safe, healthy, and cared for.
But the need continues - more families rely on our resources, and more babies need our help to thrive.
By supporting CelebrateOne this season, you help ensure families get the resources, education, and care they need, and that more babies have a safe start and reach their first birthday.
Here are 3 ways you can help:
Use this day of giving to support our programs and help us continue providing critical resources, education, and support to families across Columbus. Donation Link
Donate diapers online, contribute through our Amazon wishlist, or bring them to our collection point at 1111 Broad St.
Every diaper counts! Amazon WishlistEvery gift, large or small, supports families when they need it most.
$25 = a pack of diapers for a family
$60 = a Pack ’n Play to provide a safe place for a baby to sleep
$100 = a fully stocked diaper bag for a family
Link
We know you have many ways to give this season, and we thank you for considering supporting our mission.
Every diaper, every dollar, makes a real impact.
What We’re Reading
United States Doula Programs and Their Outcomes: A Scoping Review to Inform State-Level Policies
By: Gabriela Alvarado MD, MSc, MA, MPhil , Dana Schultz MPP , Nipher Malika PhD, MPH , Nastassia Reed BA
Published July 31, 2024
We’ve been reading United States Doula Programs and Their Outcomes: A Scoping Review to Inform State-Level Policies, a recent article from Women's Health Issues exploring the impact of doula care on birthing outcomes in the U.S.
The review highlights how doulas, providing physical, informational, and emotional support, can improve experiences and some clinical outcomes for birthing people and infants.
While evidence is still limited and mostly clinical, the research emphasizes the importance of inclusive, well-compensated doula programs, especially as states begin including doula services in Medicaid.
The article also underscores how doulas can help navigate systemic inequities, though they cannot solve broader structural challenges alone.