Hundreds of people gathered in Brownsville Saturday for a community baby shower with the goal to help underprivileged moms get the essentials they need.

Borough President Antonio Reynoso told News 12 the event at the Van Dyke Community Center was planned to help raise awareness about Black maternal mortality.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the death rate for Black women in 2021 was significantly higher than the death rates for white and Hispanic women.

First time mothers received a bag full of baby essentials that included diapers, books, wipes, and more.

“This is for people that may not have an aunt or grandma, or they have a small family, and they don’t have those baby showers that are very common in Brooklyn..." Reynoso said. "We have goods for them, baby bags, diapers, wipes -- you name it, we have it here, and everyone will be leaving with something, and hopefully they feel like we’re family, and the Brooklyn family here came together for them.”

For more information on how to get involved in the next event, click here.