The Spark Weekly 12.21.2025: How Cash Support Can Improve Pregnancy Outcomes in Pa. and Moravian Star History Shines Light on Pennsylvania Holiday Tradition

Expecting a baby is stressful under the best of circumstances, but financial uncertainty can make it even harder. Ali Groves, Associate Professor at Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health and Research Chair of the mothers and Infants Cash Coalition, has spent years studying how cash transfers can improve reproductive and maternal health outcomes.  Thomas McCullough, assistant archivist of the Moravian Church Northern Province, traced the deep historical roots behind one of Pennsylvania’s most recognizable holiday symbols: the Moravian star. McCullough explained that the Moravian Church dates back to 1457 and originated in what is now the Czech Republic, later spreading across Europe and eventually to Pennsylvania in 1740.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.