Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast stands in solidarity with the Black community. We are committed to equitable access to donor milk and breastfeeding support. For us that has translated into several initiatives:
- Expanding our donor intake and milk receipt program to include those for whom Spanish is their native language
- Advocacy in multiple states to support Medicaid and other insurance coverage of donor milk
- Reaching out to safety net hospitals regarding their use of donor milk for premature babies as part of their breastfeeding support efforts
- Expanding our Special Assistance Program to make donor milk available to families in need regardless of their ability to pay
These are our priorities, our commitment. We pledge increased energy and resources to advance these efforts.
We also pledge to broaden and diversify our circles and our communications to include members of the communities we serve, in order to ensure that our work is addressing the questions and answers of the community. “Whatever is the question, the answer is in the community.” Kimberly Seals Allers, journalist and change agent who focuses her considerable energy and talent on birth, breastfeeding, and parenting, particularly in the African American community, lives and teaches this message. We take her words to heart.
We stand ready to do the hard work of our own and to engage with the communities we serve to listen fully, to learn about the questions and answers that live there, and to provide the help we can.
Read our full statement of commitment.
