Our Vision is a Community Without Poverty and Hopelessness

Our Mission is to provide our community’s disadvantaged infants with diapers, developmental toys, and books that help meet today’s needs and that will develop them into healthier children of God financially, mentally and spiritually.   We focus on families with newborns through age two.

Miriam Ministry Provides Diapers and Wipes to Needy Families

Diaper need is a growing problem in our country. A clean diaper means a happy baby, but according to new data from The NDBN Diaper Check 2023: Diaper Insecurity among U.S. Children and Families, 1 in 2 U.S. families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their infant or child clean, dry, and healthy. As a result, these babies are more vulnerable to painful rashes and urinary tract infections, and have more trips to the doctor. 3 in 5 parents miss work or school because they can’t afford the diapers required to leave their baby in Childcare. Clean diapers are a basic need of every baby and toddler.

Without clean diapers:

  • babies are exposed to potential health risks and toxic stress;

  • mothers are at risk for increased maternal depression;

  • parents are unable to access child care, which require a daily supply of diapers; and,

  • parents miss work or school.

Source: National Diaper Bank

Why Does Miriam Ministry Provide Developmental Toys?

Toys Foster Imagination and Creativity

A fire engine is not just a toy. It’s an emergency vehicle driving to the rescue when a child imitates siren sounds and pushes it across the floor to a make-believe house fire. When children are given toys, they are allowed to further push their imagination with make-believe play scenes.

If children are given toys for development involving the idea of building something, then they have the opportunity to create something new. (Example: Play-Doh or kinetic sand is formed to make buildings).

They Improve Gross and Fine Motors Skills

A baby will start developing fine motor skills by grasping onto toys with a fist. A toddler will then use the same hand muscles developed by grasping to pick up smaller toys with a pincer grip (thumb and index finger). Once a child enters preschool-age, those hand and wrist muscles will be developed enough to hold a pencil or crayon for writing.

Just like small toys help develop fine motor skills, bigger toys like swings, mini trampolines, small bikes, and crawl-through tunnels help develop larger muscle groups. Although these types of bigger toys seem more appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, children under one can still use crawl-through tunnels and mini trampolines to strengthen large muscle groups in the arms and legs. Kids love these, especially with your assistance, of course.

Playing with Toys Furthers Cognition Development

Early childhood development learning toys help further cognitive skills like:

Problem-solving (learning how to connect Lego’s together to create something out of nothing)

Memorization (child development toys that include numbers, shapes, and letters help a child learn these early educational concepts)

Attention and focus (if children enjoy the toys, they play with their attention span and focus on the toys increases)

Play Increases Senses

Although sensory play is the method of play and understanding for children under 12-months-old, exploring the senses further is still vital for children over 12-months-old. Developmental toys for preschoolers can include more sensory play objects like kinetic or moon sand, water beads, slime, and sensory bins.

All of these sensory play activities help further children’s understanding of their senses and the environment around them. While sensory play activities may be messy, they are well worth it to develop and enhance a child’s senses as well as their creativity.

Toys for toddlers may be considered by some to be “mind-numbing” and incapable of aiding a child’s development. As a parent, I feel even the simplest of things from tree sticks to toys for development have the potential to enrich a child’s mind. But if you want to include small and large toys to increase your child’s development, look for toys that engage your child’s interests, senses, motor skills, and introduce early educational concepts.

Adapted from Liz Talton, Masters in Psychology, Dallas TX

The Importance of Having Age-Appropriate Books in the Home:

  • 61% of low-income families do not have a single book suitable for a child.

  • The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.

  • Children who have not already developed some basic literacy practices when they enter school are three to four times more likely to drop out in later years.

Source:  Ferst Foundation

In Washington County, about 27.6% of the population and 35.6% of those under age 18 were below the poverty line.

Source:  2010 Census

  • Having books in the home is twice as important as the father’s education level. (Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 2010)

  • The only behavior measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home. (The Literacy Crisis: False Claims, Real Solutions, 1998)

  • Children growing up in homes with at least twenty books get three years more schooling than children from bookless homes, independent of their parents’ education, occupation, and class. (Evans, M. D., Kelley, J., Sikora, J., & Treiman, D. J. (2010). Family scholarly culture and educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 28(2), 171-197.)

How Do I Receive Diapers, Toys, and Books from Miriam Ministry?

To receive diapers, toy and books, please visit Miriam Ministry’s community partners who distribute Miriam Ministry items to needy families in Washington County:

Washington County Health Department / WIC Program
202 Morningside Drive
Sandersville, GA 31082
Phone: (478) 552-3210

Washington County Department of Family & Children Services (DFACS)
1124 South Harris Street
Sandersville, GA 31082
Phone: (478) 553-2350

Children’s Healthcare Center, LLC/ Dr. Christy Mountain
510 Washington Avenue
Sandersville, GA 31082
Phone: (478) 412-6522

Cardinal Health Care / Stacy Williford, FNP
601 Ferncrest Dr. - Building A Suite 2
Sandersville, GA 31082
(478) 412 2881

Washington County Regional Medical Center / Speech Therapist-Lauren Kent
610 Sparta Road
Sandersville, GA 31082
(478) 240-2000

Dr. Jennifer Tarbutton/Children's Healthcare Center
601 Ferncrest Dr. #B
Sandersville, GA 31082

Community Health Care Systems 
116 S Smith Street
Tennille Ga 31089
(478) 553-7384
and
616 Fern Crest Dr
Sandersville Ga 31082
(478) 552-1620

For an urgent need, you may contact:

Washington County Sheriff’s Office / Sheriff Joel Cochran
1735 Kaolin Road
Sandersville, GA 31082
Phone: (478) 552-4795

First Christian Church Mission Store
163 E Church St.
Sandersville, GA 31082

Miriam Ministry
Email: miriamministry22@gmail.com
Cell (478) 232-2950

To receive books in the home for your child from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, click this link.