Way to Grow knows that meaningful community partnerships take many forms. This past December, the Comcast Women’s Network showed up with warm hearts, fleece material, and board books. Together, they showed us what generosity in action looks like.
A Network Built on Connection
The Comcast Women’s Network is one of Comcast’s employee resource groups. It brings together team members around shared experiences, professional development, and community engagement. These networks are a cornerstone of Comcast’s broader commitment to inclusion and service. They look for ways to make that commitment tangible throughout the year.
This past December, the Women’s Network planned a holiday gathering open to all, centered not just on connection among colleagues, but on giving back to families in their community.
An Afternoon of Movies, Cocoa, and Craft
The group gathered for a day that balanced celebration with purpose. Together, members and colleagues watched Christmas movies, shared hot cocoa, and worked to tie fleece blankets sized just right for toddlers and young children. Alongside the blankets, they collected board books for our youngest readers.
It was a simple idea with a clear outcome: cozy, handmade blankets paired with board books for young readers. They were soon ready to be shared with Way to Grow’s littlest readers.
What Families Received
Every blanket and book found its way to families through Way to Grow’s Family Educators, who distribute such gifts and resources directly to the children and caregivers they serve. Families loved them!
Board books are a foundational early literacy tool. Reading aloud — even to infants — builds vocabulary, strengthens the parent-child bond, and supports brain development during the most critical window of growth. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading with children beginning in infancy supports healthy language and literacy development. A soft, cuddly blanket makes storytime that much cozier.
Partnership That Goes Beyond the Gift
Way to Grow is grateful to the Comcast Women’s Network for choosing to spend part of their holiday season gathered in service to families. What they created was more than a craft project — it was a warm and intentional act of community care.
Partnerships like this reflect what Way to Grow sees every day: when individuals and organizations show up for families, children are better prepared to learn, grow, and thrive.
To learn more about how your organization can support Way to Grow families, visit www.waytogrow.org/neighbors or email us at wtg@mplswaytogrow.org.
