Staten Island moms were invited to a "symbolic" baby shower at Snug Harbor as part of the "Healthy Baby Campaign."
The shower was hosted by the city's first lady Chirlane McCray and The New York Foundling as part of the Talk to Your Baby campaign, which encourages parents to talk, read and sing to their babies from birth for healthy brain development.
City agencies shared resources to help new parents, and guests were offered baby clothes, books and accessories to take home.
"It's extremely important to help and support them because it take a village to raise a child," said Cynthia Donnelly, a child protective specialist supervisor at the Administration for Children's Services.
"This has been very good. I wish an event like this had happened when I was pregnant," said Ebony Givens, the mother of a 9-month-old baby.
For more information on the benefits of talking to your baby, visit nyc.gov/talktoyourbaby.