Vote for the milk bank!
The Lactivist posted about an online contest going on at Ideablob that allows anyone to post a business or non-profit idea and compete for $10,000, given away each month. The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog is also encouraging people to vote.
One of the contestants is The Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England, a newly formed non-profit milk bank serving babies, hospitals, and families throughout New England.
The Milk Bank will provide screened and pasteurized breastmilk to premature and critically ill babies, primarily in neonatal intensive care units. This milk will be donated by volunteer mothers in our region. For sick and premature babies, breastmilk can mean the difference between life and death, and a short or long hospital stay. Studies have shown that premature babies who receive banked milk are far less likely to suffer life-threatening complications and have much faster recovery rates.
The Milk Bank needs money for:
1) Processing and storage equipment. $5,000 for the purchase of equipment; freezers, pasteurizers, refrigerator, etc.
2) Milk Money Fund. Insurance doesn’t always cover the cost of donor milk. $3,000 would be for our Milk Money Fund, to provide donor milk to families who cannot afford the processing and shipping fees.
3) Start-up marketing costs. $2,000 for publicizing the Milk Bank in our region, particularly to recruit potential milk donors i.e. radio public service announcements, web and print materials to educate the parents and medical providers about milk donation and use.
So, here’s our chance to make a big difference today. Here’s what to do:
·Go to the Milk Bank page on IdeaBlob, and vote for this project! You have to register first and confirm by email, which doesn’t take long.
·Blog or post about this wherever you can to help bring in more votes.
Thank you for your time today! And cross your fingers…
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January 24th, 2008 at 9:16 am
[...] the Milk Bank: Round 2 by Jackie The Mother’s Milk Bank of New England, which I posted about last week, is a finalist in a contest to win $10,000 for startup funds through Ideablob. The Mothers’ [...]