Read below for how Baby Cafe at the JCC Denver came to be….

Written by Rachel Wool, Senior Director of Development & Marketing

Seven years ago, on my very first day working at the JCC Denver, I met Abby Malman. She was rushing through the building after dropping off her sons at preschool but paused long enough to introduce herself. Within minutes we realized we had a lot in common.

In that brief conversation, I mentioned that one of my goals in my new role as JCC Family Program Manager was to create some kind of support program for parents with newborns. I was still figuring out what it might look like. As Abby hurried out the door, she turned and said, “Oh, where I work, we have something called Baby Café. I’ll come tell you about it.” 

And she did. 

Soon we found ourselves meeting after preschool drop-off or right before pickup, sketching ideas on notepads and building what would become the foundation of the JCC Denver’s “Fourth Trimester” programming. 

At the time, the JCC had already been supporting families with babies for decades through Jewish Baby University, along with caregiver classes like Musical tots and Artistic Babes. But we both sensed that something was missing during the earliest postpartum months, the moment when parents are often the most exhausted, the most uncertain, and the most in need of community. 

Baby Café filled that gap. 

One of the most valuable elements of the program is lactation support from a certified lactation consultant, along with a medical-grade scale that allows for a weighted feed—a simple but powerful way to measure how much milk a baby is getting during a feeding.  

There was just one problem at the start: those scales are expensive, and there was no budget yet for this brand-new program. 

Thankfully, a JCC staff member quietly stepped forward and anonymously donated the funds to purchase our first scale. It was the first of many reminders that when the community believes in something, it shows up. 

Abby was able to join every week as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). She would drop her own children in their classrooms and then rush over to Classroom Wolf, before leaving to drive to work for a full day.   Like many programs that grow into something meaningful, Baby Café started small. In those early months, we might see four moms in a circle each week, holding their tiny babies and sharing questions and stories.  

Word began to spread—through parent group chats, whispered recommendations at pediatrician offices, and conversations between friends. Slowly, the group grew. 

By February 2020, we were ready to celebrate with a grand opening, excited about the future of Baby Café at the JCC. Then, like the rest of the world, our plans changed overnight. In March 2020, just as we were starting to see 10–12 moms each week, the world shut down. 

Abby and I spent hours on the phone asking ourselves the same questions everyone was asking: How do we keep this going? Will parents even join virtually? What happens when the weighted feeds aren’t possible online? We sent an email to our list with a Zoom link and waited. For the next year, we missed only a few weeks of virtual Baby Café. 

Eventually we began meeting outside in the JCC’s backyard. Some days the Colorado sun was blazing hot; other days we bundled under the pergola heaters installed by Stuart Bombel when he redesigned the outdoor space. We kept gathering through the seasons, cancelling only when there was actual snow or rain that made it impossible to gather. 

Slowly, the world reopened, and we moved indoors again—into the beautifully renovated Classroom Wolf, another renovation project Stuart helped bring to life during the JCC closure. 

It was now clear, Baby Cafe at the JCC Denver needed a funder.  It was costing around $15,000 to $20,000 a year to operate, and it was very important to everyone that we kept it free.  Thanks to word of mouth, Deb Michaud heard about this need and stepped in to fulfill it.  Since 2023, the Michaud Family has partnered with the JCC to make sure that there is always a safe and supportive space for families during that fourth trimester period.  

Over time, Baby Café continued to grow alongside the families who built it.  

Today, the program continues with new leadership and new energy. Blair, the JCC’s Family Engagement Manager, now facilitates the group. Abby has helped onboard additional lactation consultants, including Emily Janson and Penny Rosen, ensuring that families continue to receive expert support each week. 

And the room is often full.  Some weeks we welcome 20 or more parents and babies, gathered together in those earliest, tender weeks of life. We proudly share that the youngest baby to ever attend Baby Café was just four days old. 

Like many community programs, Baby Café has relied on the generosity of donors who believe deeply in supporting families.   Each year in May, in honor of the mothers and caregivers who make this community so strong, we host our Baby Café fundraiser—and one lucky supporter even has the chance to win a trip to Mexico! 

Seven years after that quick hallway conversation between two tired moms, Baby Café has become something far bigger than either of us imagined. 

It’s a place where new parents walk in feeling uncertain and leave feeling supported. 
A place where babies grow week by week before everyone’s eyes. 
A place where friendships—and a village—begin. 

And it all started with a quick hello at preschool drop-off.