This year, the Soroptimist group raised over $1,000 in cash for the program. Shannon Woodall, Jean Lee and Lorraine Patmore, members of the Cultured Purls Knitting Guild, donated hand-knitted baby items.

Stephanie Tordini, the registered nurse who runs maternity services, said the shower raised several thousand diapers and over 80 packs of wipes. She has a resource room full of items that mothers and their children may need.

Tordini said she has burp cloths, clothing, bottles and other items. If patients cannot visit her office, she will do a resource drop-off with items the mother has requested.

To qualify, patients must have Medicaid, Tordini said. Patients also qualify for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), a program that gives mothers a restricted food allowance card depending on their circumstances plus breast pumps and counseling.

Tordini said she makes home, office and telephone visits.

“I technically work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, but I’m getting calls a lot on my days off,” she said.

The community baby shower has taken place in Washington since 1989, and according to Island Health, Anacortes participated since 1991.

With a big turnout at the baby shower this year, Tordini says she has plenty of supplies.

“Based on if my patient is very low income or if they need extra resources, I will just load them up on each visit with things that I think they themselves could need or (for) their growing baby,” Tordini said.