The birth of a baby is a precious miracle. When babies are born prematurely, infants and their families must triumph over many challenges.

Lily’s Hope Foundation strives to help them succeed, by supporting babies, children and their families with unexpected and urgent needs due to premature birth by providing resources, aid and hope to families with premature babies through its Preemie Pantry and Packages of Hope program.

Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church at Rosemont made it a point to support Lily’s Hope in its mission, and presented Jennifer Driscoll, executive director and founder, with that support in a tangible way Sept. 8 during the morning service on “God’s work. Our hands” Sunday.

“This congregation has really made an impact in the community and the NICU community,” Driscoll said. “Coming here, the parish really made it feel like home. It’s a warm community.”

Lily’s Hope is personal for Driscoll and her husband Justin, vice president and founder, because their children, Lilian Hope, born in July 2007, and Aidan Patrick, born in October 2013, were both preemies. Lily’s Hope was started in honor of Lilian Hope.

Aidan, who accompanied his mother to the service, helps with marketing ideas, comes up with logos for T-shirts and photos. Lilian Hope is student ambassador.

“Our tagline is “Aid and Hope for NICU families,’” Driscoll said, noting the line is a nod to Lilian Hope and Aidan Patrick.

Lily’s Hope Foundation officially became a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization in 2013. The all-volunteer, nonprofit foundation based in Allentown has so far helped 6,000 families.

Driscoll said that week her daughter Lily was writing her college essay, centered on defining, “What is Lily’s Hope?”

“She wants to make NICU journeys easier. You guys have answered those needs 100 percent,” Driscoll told the congregation.

“Thank you … you make an impact on NICU journeys.”

“God’s work. Our hands.” is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) annual day of service, which took place this year Sept. 8. The day is a chance to celebrate the ECLA’s identity as a church that serves and loves its neighbors.

The “God’s work. Our hands.” committee at the church organized the event for the day of service, for which the Christian Service Women made and donated more than 35 quilts and blankets to Lily’s Hope; all the quilts and blankets were made or donated by the group or church. They also held a bake sale with proceeds benefiting the foundation during the time of fellowship in Laros Hall after the service. In addition, the church also collected many bags of infant supplies and sibling gifts, such as coloring books, for Lily’s Hope.

Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church at Rosemont also collected food for New Bethany’s pantry and wrote thinking-of-you cards to send to homebound members as part of “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday.

“This is perhaps one of the greatest parables Jesus ever told – this story of the good Samaritan,” the Rev. Jack Steltzer, pastor, said during his sermon, referencing the day’s Gospel.

“The Samaritan saw another human in dire need and responded the way Christ expects us to respond – with boldness,” he said, noting it was an especially bold move as Samaritans and Jews hated one another in first century Israel.

Pastor Steltzer said the church’s members “have been called by God to act with boldness. As our mission statement boldly proclaims, ‘Christ has called us together to do God’s work.’

“Boldness is our call to action.”

“Jennifer and her children, Aidan and Lily, are those kind of people, along with all the many volunteers and supporters of Lily’s foundation. These folks are shining examples of what it means to have a strong faith and to live boldly for the sake of others,” Pastor Steltzer said.

Mary Mann and Jean Finn are members of both the Christian Service Women and the “God’s work. Our hands.” committee, and helped in organizing the event and making the quilts.

Mann said someone brought her the suggestion to support Lily’s Hope for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, “and the Christian Service Women went with it.

“I have a passion for sewing, and sewing for someone else makes me feel good,” Mann said. “We donated preemie and sibling items and made fleece blankets for siblings and parents who sometimes stay in the NICU.”

We feel really blessed to have the ladies who sew with us take on the project with enthusiasm,” Finn said. “The quilts are so beautiful – what a great job they did.”

Finn said some of the quilts are still in progress, so there will be many more than 35. The group gathers each Wednesday to sew and have added the third Saturday morning of each month so those who work may join them to sew.

Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church at Rosemont was formed by the December 2023 merger of the former Rosemont Lutheran Church and Blessed Trinity Lutheran churches at the Rosemont site.

“All of us together have become a bold and beautiful church,” Pastor Steltzer said.

For more information on Lily’s Hope visit lilyshopefoundation.org/.