National Board

Sam Safrit- Chairman of the Board

A native of North Carolina, Sam Safrit served as a noncommissioned officer in Airborne and Special Forces units in Germany and Alaska from 1958-1962.  He went on to build a career directing Research and Development units for several Fortune 500 companies and later joined his wife, Anne, in supporting Newborns in Need post-retirement.A pivotal moment in his service to Newborns in Need occurred one night on the eve of Independence Day.  Anne and Connie were making Fourth of July baby outfits for the hospital and unexpectedly ran out of fabric.  Sam drove all over town in the middle of the night in search of flag-themed material.  It was important that Sam was able to help provide the newborns with patriotic attire on their first Independence Day.  Every baby, every person deserves a chance at freedom and opportunity – a theme that seems to resonate in Sam’s

Connie  Edwards – National President

   Connie is an Assistant Marketing Manager at Hanesbrands, Inc.

In 1994 Connie gave birth to her first son, Andrew, at 32 weeks.  During her daily visits to the hospital, she watched less fortunate parents and their newborns handle devastating health problems and financial issues.  “I felt helpless to assist,” she said. Connie discovered Newborns In Need while doing some research on the Internet.  In 2001 she created the first North Carolina chapter for Newborns in Need, and one year later she joined the national leadership team.  After parting with Newborns in Need for a short time due to career demands, Connie returned to NIN in 2007 to become the National President.Our goal”, says Connie, “is to be the first response team for families who leave the hospital or birthing center and need a bit of help to get started in providing for their new baby”. The needs across our country are great, although we sometimes fail to recognize the little ways one individual can make a huge difference in the life of someone else. It is not necessary to look for the “big idea” it’s the small ones that can have immediate impact. Being sure that a baby has warm and clean clothing, diapers and a safe environment in which to sleep can make the difference in whether that baby is returned to the hospital for treatment for life threatening illnesses or injuries. Our goal is to provide needed essentials free of charge for the first few months of that baby’s life and to be sure the caregiver has somewhere to turn immediately after birth.