We are a week away from the 23ABC Community Baby Shower. Every year we collect donations to give to the Bakersfield Pregnancy Center and the Mission at Kern to support their women's and children's programs. Your donations go to not only help keep these programs going but to help change lives. At the Mission, while their programs are only a few years old, they've gone to help countless families."I'm learning not to be so mad at myself for what I went through but to just love myself," said Yvette Ortiz, a struggling new mom when she found herself at the Mission at Kern County. When we spoke to her a year ago, she shared her struggles with drugs and finding herself with a new baby and no home. "I look back at it now and I'm like wow I never thought I could do this," she said.A year later though, she and her children are not only together but thriving thanks to the Mission's programs."We're going onto 7 years of being open and the last couple of years we've opened transitional housing for those women on another site," said Executive Director Carlos Baldovinos. He said ever since they began servicing mothers and children, they've noticed that the need is greater than they originally thought and often goes unnoticed by the community. "Because they move from, let's say, a family's couch, a car, it goes very undetected from a community standpoint," he said.Not only do they offer a safe space and provide needed items, but their programs work with families for years through addiction, to finding housing, and helping create a sustainable environment for not only parents but their children. "I feel like it's a fresh start to a better life," Ortiz said.Baldovinos said as their women's and children's programs have succeeded, they've also expanded in order to keep up with the growing need in the community. "We rely on community support for this, and you know with inflation those are very expensive, diapers are expensive, formula is expensive," he said.Ultimately though, they are happy to see these services make a difference. Ortiz said now she's ready for the next step in the program. Thanks to the program, she's now employed with Flood Ministries, and she hopes to soon get into housing. "I appreciate that at the most time when I was in need, they were there for me," she said.Now we need your help to give back to our fellow neighbors. We are accepting donations now here at our studios at 321 21st Street, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also donate on our website any time. Then join us on November 21st at our studios where we'll be accepting items all day. Help us make a difference. Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube