Our 2019 Fundraiser was a HUGE Success!

Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!  

Our 2019 end-of-the year fundraiser was such a HUGE success and we cannot thank you enough for all of your support.  Our goal was to raise $10,000 between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve and we ended the fundraiser with donations totaling $5,850! We are truly humbled by our community’s support, which allows us to forge forward in 2020 to provide free and reduced-fee breastfeeding consultations for families with financial and racial barriers to receiving breastfeeding support. The recipients’ testimonials say it all…. these consultations were lifesavers!

Due to your generosity, we will be able to provide over 50 free/reduced-fee breastfeeding consultations in 2020.  This covers about 25% of the consultations we plan to provide in 2020, so while our fundraising efforts never end, this gets us off to an amazing start in 2020!

Something new we added during this year’s fundraising campaign was dedicating a week’s donations to fund a scholarship for a local woman of color to become an IBCLC.  We are pleased to announce that we raised $1920 for our scholarship fund and look forward to gifting this to an IBCLC student in 2020!

Thank you to our donors!

Each of our donors is incredibly important and imperative for funding our programs, which is why we like to share their names on our donor pages!  There also are a few donors we would like to personally thank today for their very generous donations this year. These individuals and businesses donated $250 or more to our foundation in 2019:

Schoenith Foundation, TUA

Dr. Stanton, Victoria, and Alana Hom at Future Generations

Dr. Najmeh Hannahvash at Little Star Pediatric Dentistry

Kindred Bravely

Rawr Naturals

Gymboree

Good Vibrations Chiropractic 

Rebecca Hammond

Jamie Reichling

Cheryl and Greg Williams

Becoming Peaceful

Nutrition in Bloom

Blissful Bellys

Sugar Night Night

Rise Physical Therapy

Sakura Bloom

Thank you, from all of us at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation!  You have truly made a difference in so many families’ lives and we so appreciate it!

Still want to donate?

You can make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation (which is one of our favorites!), through our website at any time! 

Racial Disparities in Healthcare and Breastfeeding Support

We’d like you to meet Chardá Fontenot. She is a Perinatal Navigator with Project Concern International Healthy Start, a Doula, a Certified Lactation Educator & Counselor (CLEC), and one of our board members. She is someone who is truly committed and already making enormous strides to improve health and breastfeeding outcomes for our local African-American and black families. We feel honored to know her and to work with her!

I‘m so excited to be a part of the SDBFC Foundation Board! A personal and professional goal of mine is to increase the breastfeeding rates for all families, but particularly black breastfeeding families due to the low initiation and duration rates. 

The most recent statistics from the CDC show that White and Hispanic families have an 82% breastfeeding initiation rate, with 27-31% breastfeeding at 1 year.  Black families have a 64% breastfeeding initiation rate, with 17% breastfeeding at 1 year.

In order to eliminate that disparity there needs to be a sense of urgency and a group of individuals that are dedicated to helping these families. The SDBFC foundation has the capacity, skill and drive to help break down the barriers that prevent black families from breastfeeding successfully. 

I believe anyone that wants to breast/chest feed, should be able to do so and with proper support. Having access to a lactation professional that is knowledgeable, inclusive and affordable is key. SDBFC Foundation fits that role and fills a gap that needs some focus. 

In my job, I work with many families both prenatally and postpartum. I see the struggles first hand and the first thing I do is offer support as a CLEC, but if it’s something that needs to be addressed by an IBCLC, some families simply can not afford the help they deserve so they quit. The SDBFC foundation is here to prevent families from quitting due to lack of support and assistance. This is why I’m so excited to be a part of the foundation. I want all of those who want breastfeeding help to be able to obtain it. 

For us to continue doing this amazing work, we need your support in order to support those who need it most. Your donation of any amount helps towards our mission and will keep breastfeeding babies and families happy, healthy and thriving!

Chardá Fontenot, SDBFC Foundation Board Member

---

Ready to help us reduce racial disparities in breastfeeding?

All is takes is your donation. $5, $50, $500.... it all makes a difference!

Can you help us reach our $10,000 goal?

---

For more information about the racial disparities in healthcare and breastfeeding support, particularly for African-American and black families in the United States, please see Chardá’s interview with Robin, by clicking here!

Increase Access to Breastfeeding Support this Giving Tuesday 2019

We’d like you to meet Veronica.  She is one of the moms who was able to access affordable breastfeeding support because of the reduced-free consultations provided by the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation.

I reached out to the San Diego Breastfeeding center after experiencing the hardest eight weeks of my life. My baby was born a few weeks premature, he had a tongue and lip tie, he experienced colic, and we had many lactation problems among a number of other issues. I was desperate, I felt helpless and was beginning to experience postpartum depression and anxiety. As my last hope, I left a voice message at the SD Breastfeeding Center thinking I would get a call back until Monday since it was a weekend; however, I was surprised to get a call back that same day. The person on the phone was very understanding and empathic, and she was able to schedule my appointment with Robin right away. I explained that we had so many expenses given all the issues we experienced and I was worried that I would not be able to keep my appointment because I could not afford it. Again, the administrator who helped me was very understanding and I was offered a lower fee.

I felt so fortunate to be able to work with Robin, who is extremely knowledgeable and professional. I was in tears at my appointment, but with her positive and calm energy she was able to provide the support and empowerment I needed to not lose hope. Had they not offered a reduced fee, I would have never been able to breastfeed my baby, something which was extremely important for me to do. I am forever grateful with Robin and the SD Breastfeeding Center for giving me such an opportunity to obtain services I would have never imagined I could have access to. I am happy to say that my baby is now five months old and we are breastfeeding beautifully.

- Veronica G.

Did you know that San Diego has pockets of ‘breastfeeding deserts’ where there is limited access to breastfeeding support groups and lactation consultants.  These deserts exist in areas that have a higher population of low income families and families of color. This is absolutely unacceptable! Access to breastfeeding education and feeding support is a basic human right, not a privilege.  

Your donation today, no matter the size, helps us train breastfeeding support staff and provide free and low-cost breastfeeding consultations to families living in these breastfeeding deserts.  Help us break down these income and racial disparities today!

Join me in helping local families, like Veronica’s, gain access to critical breastfeeding support on this #GivingTuesday. 

Wondering how to do this?

We are asking you to help us #SupportSDMoms by donating your weekly coffee money!  It’s that simple!  If everyone reading this blog post/email donated $20 today (the amount they would spend at a coffee shop this week), we would be able to raise over $40,000 on #GivingTuesday.  

Can you help us reach our $10,000 goal?

All you have to do is click on this Go Fund Me link to donate this week’s coffee allowance and help bring affordable and accessible breastfeeding support to hundreds of local families.

To donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation, you can send a check to:

San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation

8325 University Ave.

La Mesa, CA 91942

Or donate through Go Fund Me!

READ THIS BEFORE YOU SHOP ON AMAZON THIS 2019 HOLIDAY SEASON!

DID YOU KNOW….

• While 93% of parents start breastfeeding exclusively at birth in San Diego, only 56% continue doing so at 3 months, largely due to a lack of financial resources and access to ongoing lactation support.

• You can donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation with every purchase you make through Amazon Smile?  

• You can help low-income families and women of color gain access to critical breastfeeding support by purchasing Amazon items online, just by shopping through smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com!

GUESS HOW EASY THIS IS???

We are asking you to take 60 seconds of your time today to designate the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation as your charitable recipient for Amazon Smile.  All you have to do is go to their website (smile.amazon.com) and choose the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation as your Amazon Smile recipient. Then as you make your holiday purchases, as well as your staples of diapers, nipple cream, baby toys, book, etc, the SDBFC Foundation will receive 0.5% of every purchase, at no extra cost to you.  This money will go directly to paying for lactation consultations for families in need.

---

I am thankful that I had access to a lactation consultant through the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation at a discounted/affordable rate during the first weeks and months after having my first child. Breastfeeding was an ever-changing thing for us and being able to have this type of support was what I needed to push through and even enjoy the experience and make sure my son was getting what he needed in a way that was sustainable. We are still breast-feeding fifteen months in, and it has been both the hardest and sweetest aspect of motherhood. I don't know if I could say that without the one on one appointments I was able to have at multiple points in our breastfeeding journey that provided much needed tools and support. Just having someone to observe and bounce concerns and issues off of was priceless! 

Nicole P.

---

Amazon Smile Details:

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.

To donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation directly, you can send a check to:

San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation

8325 University Ave.

La Mesa, CA 91942

Or donate through our website: https://www.sdbfcfoundation.org/donate.

Board Position Opening for the SDBFC Foundation

Are you passionate about breastfeeding and want to make a difference in the lives of local breastfeeding families?

Do you feel frustrated with the way our healthcare system marginalizes and often provides unequal care for low-income families?

If you answered ‘yes’ to both of these questions, keep on reading!!!

The San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation is looking for a dynamic and creative person, who is passionate about resolving inequities in breastfeeding support, to join our board of directors for a 2-year term.  This is a volunteer position.

San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation mission:

The mission of San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (SDBFCF) is to reduce socioeconomic disparities in breastfeeding support by increasing access to qualified lactation consultants for low-income families.  We do this by subsidizing free or reduced-fee breastfeeding consultations and classes to low-income and financially-limited families.

Board Member Roles:

• Attend about two 2-hour board meetings per year  

• Attend our Big Latch On event during World Breastfeeding Week, the first week of August.

• Help fundraise during our end-of-the-year email fundraising campaign

• Provide creative ideas for community collaborations and fundraising campaigns/events

• Assist with small tasks throughout the year that support/foster donor relations and solicit new donors

• Available to respond to emails within 24 hours

Qualifications:

• Passionate about breastfeeding and supporting breastfeeding families

• Passionate about resolving inequities in the healthcare system

• Availability to attend board meetings during business hours a few times per year

• Natural ability to cultivate relationships

• Willingness to fundraise within your own social circle, as well as through social media

• Willingness to create and share new ideas for fundraising and community collaborations.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Robin Kaplan, board president, by April 22, 2019.  sdbfcfoundation@gmail.com

SDBFC Will Match Your Donation Until the End of 2018!

Looking for an awesome nonprofit to donate to before the end of the year? Everyone wants a tax write-off, right?

With only 5 days remaining in 2018 and $975 left to go to reach our goal of raising $5000 for the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation, we thought we would offer you a little incentive.  

From now until January 1, 2019, the San Diego Breastfeeding Center will match donations to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation (up to $1000 total)!  

---

Want to know where our money was spent in 2018?

• 65 low-income families received a free-$25 private initial breastfeeding consultation

• 39 low-income families received a free-$25 private follow up breastfeeding consultation

• 150 families enjoyed festivities at our free Big Latch On 2018 event

With a new partnership with Black Infant Health in 2019, we hope to increase the number of consultations by at least 25%.  Will you please help fund our programs in 2019 by donating today?

---

---

Inspired to make a difference in the life of a new family?

• $85 pays for one initial 90-min breastfeeding consultation for a low-income family

• $55 pays for one follow up breastfeeding consultation for a low-income family.

• Any amount will help us to reach our goal of $5000 for 2018!  We are only $975 away from reaching our end-of-year goal!  SDBFC will match funds up to $1000 total until the end of 2018.

Donate online through our CrowdRise campaign or directly through our SDBFC Foundation website.

To donate by check, please send to:
San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation
3355 4th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Help Us Extend Lactation Services to ALL families in San Diego

We'd like to introduce you to Dania Lindenberg, one of the most caring, passionate pediatricians in San Diego and a board member of the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation.

I joined the SDBFC Foundation Board because I believe so strongly in its mission to extend lactation services to all moms.  Lactation services, especially from skilled, caring, and professional lactation consultants such as Robin Kaplan and her colleagues at the SDBFC, can make or break a new mom’s breastfeeding experience.  Many of us no longer have a “village” to help us with breastfeeding. Caring, knowledgeable and supportive lactation consultants help fill this gap.

As a pediatrician, I refer the majority of my new breastfeeding moms for lactation support.  An inability to pay for services without significant hardship prevents many new moms from scheduling these consultations; frequently, new mothers become overwhelmed trying to navigate breastfeeding and give up.  The benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby, including economic benefits, are well known. Making lactation services available to more women will help increase breastfeeding success. Breastfeeding is hard!  As a currently breastfeeding mom of 4 children, I have sought help with each baby, most recently from Robin with my 2 month old daughter. I want all new moms to be able to benefit from skilled lactation support. The SDBFC Foundation’s mission is to help make this happen.  I am honored to be able to be a part of something so important.

In order for this incredible nonprofit organization to continue its important work, it needs your support.  Please consider donating—anything helps. And spread the word to any new moms you know, as they too may benefit.

- Dania Lindenberg, MD

---

Inspired to make a difference in the life of a new family?

• $85 pays for one initial 90-min breastfeeding consultation for a low-income family

• $55 pays for one follow up breastfeeding consultation for a low-income family.

• Any amount will help us to reach our goal of $5000 for 2018!

---

Donate online through our CrowdRise campaign or directly through our SDBFC Foundation website.

To donate by check, please send to:
San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation
3355 4th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Increase Access to Breastfeeding Support this #GivingTuesday

We’d like you to meet AnaKaren.  She is one of the moms who was able to access affordable breastfeeding support because of the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation.

Breastfeeding was something I always knew I wanted to do, I just didn't know how hard of a process it was going to be. When I had my baby girl I suffered from postpartum anxiety and pretty bad baby blues. Diana, like all babies, lost a lot of her birth weight and was not gaining it back as fast as she should've been. Breastfeeding her became a real struggle, and with my anxiety I was at a loss. I almost gave up multiple times because I didn't know what I was doing wrong, and I always had this anxious feeling that she was going to lose weight again because she was not feeding well.

Someone recommended I reach out to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center, so I called and made an appointment with Robin. When I arrived for my appointment I was welcomed with a warm smile and I instantly felt more comfortable. During our meeting I felt reassured and was given many helpful tips and advice. When our appointment was over I received an email with my breastfeeding plan and all the tips she had provided. I was so happy at how efficient the appointment was, and how fast Robin emailed me with the information. During our appointments, Robin was able to point out to me that my baby had a lip and tongue tie and I was referred to two dental specialist. Diana was able to get both her lip and tongue tie revised which helped immensely with breastfeeding. During our appointments, I was not only able to receive great advice but I was able to afford coming back two more times.

With limited income and a husband in school, it would've been very difficult to be seen at SDBFC without their affordable $25 appointment fee. Being able to afford the appointments made the difference between breastfeeding my baby and not breastfeeding. My baby and I are now three months into this incredibly breastfeeding journey, and I continue to see all the support I receive from the SDBFC team every time I go to their free breastfeeding support groups. Without their affordable cost fee and support I know my baby and I would've had a completely different outcome on this breastfeeding journey. The bond that my baby and I have created through breastfeeding has been possible because of the support and help from San Diego Breastfeeding Center.

AnaKaren

---

Breastfeeding is a right. It is not a privilege for only those who can afford support. That is why I give. - Robin

---

Join me in helping local families, like AnaKaren’s, gain access to critical breastfeeding support on this #GivingTuesday.

Wondering how to do this?

We are asking you to help us #SupportSDMoms by donating your weekly coffee money!  It’s that simple!  If everyone reading this email donated $20 today, the amount they would spend at a coffee shop this week, we would be able to raise over $40,000 on #GivingTuesday.  

Can you help us reach this goal?

All you have to do is click on this CrowdRise link or on this SDBFC Foundation link to donate this week’s coffee allowance and help bring affordable breastfeeding support to hundreds of local low-income moms.

To donate by check, please send to:

San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation

3355 4th Ave.

San Diego, CA 92103

READ THIS BEFORE YOU SHOP ON AMAZON THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

DID YOU KNOW….

• While 93% of moms start breastfeeding exclusively at birth in San Diego, only 56% continue doing so at 3 months, largely due to a lack of financial resources and access to ongoing lactation support.

• You can donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation with every purchase you make through Amazon Smile?  

• You can help low-income mothers gain access to critical breastfeeding support by purchasing Amazon items online, just by shopping through smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com!

GUESS HOW EASY THIS IS???

We are asking you to take 60 seconds of your time today to designate the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation as your charitable recipient for Amazon Smile.  All you have to do is go to their website (smile.amazon.com) and choose the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation as your Amazon Smile recipient.  Or you can click on our direct charity link (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/81-1935497) Then as you make your holiday purchases, as well as your staples of diapers, nipple cream, baby toys, book, etc, the SDBFC Foundation will receive 0.5% of every purchase, at no extra cost to you.  This money will go directly to paying for lactation consultations for families in need.

---

I met with Robin after the birth of my second baby to help with nursing pain and latch difficulties. I had been laid off from my job during maternity leave and enrolled my children in Medi-Cal coverage. The reduced fee for Medi-Cal patients encouraged me to seek help for my breastfeeding journey. It eased a financial burden as well as a mental and emotional need as Robin is an expert in her field. As a Medi-Cal patient, you often wonder if you are receiving the same level of care as privately insured patients. There is no question here. Robin and her staff are with you for life, breastfeeding and beyond.

Megan

---

Amazon Smile Details:

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.

To donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation directly, you can send a check to:

San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation

3355 4th Ave.

San Diego, CA 92103

Or donate through our website: https://www.sdbfcfoundation.org/donate.

Baking for a Cause - Petite Paleo Bakery

Community. It’s what makes living in a particular location worthwhile and fulfilling. I have had the pleasure of living in San Diego for most of my life and each new life chapter has encouraged me to broaden my community. Becoming a mom 13 years ago (and having a child with severe food allergies) led me to search for a more environmentally-conscious, wholistic, and wholefoods-based community. One of these generous community members has asked to kick off our ‘end of the year nonprofit fundraising campaign’ with a Bake Sale! We are so grateful to have Rose, of Petite Paleo Bakery, in our community and for her incredible generosity. Please allow me to introduce Rose!

My name is Rose Malihan and I am the owner of Petite Paleo Bakery. Our delicious homemade Paleo inspired baked goods are free of gluten, grains, dairy, soy, and refined sugars. Our natural sweeteners are dates, coconut sugar, or honey. We also offer savory wraps and rolls and use organic and local ingredients as much as possible. And most importantly, all of our sweets and treats are kid-tested and mom-approved!

I was passionate about health and fitness before I became a mom, so breastfeeding was an obvious choice after my baby was born in 2010. We met Robin at her weekly breastfeeding support group when my daughter was less than a month old.  I am so thankful that we found her, because unfortunately for us, breastfeeding was challenging!  My newborn baby girl was not latching correctly, nursing was painful, and she was slow to gain weight. Robin was so compassionate and put us in touch with the right healthcare providers, and soon thereafter, I gained more confidence about being a mom, nursing in public, and advocating for what I felt was right for us. My daughter started gaining weight more steadily, and we continued our nursing journey until she was two years old.

I am forever grateful for Robin and the San Diego Breastfeeding Center, and for the resources they provided to us when we needed it the most. Being able to breastfeed my baby for as long as we did was the most amazing experience, and I am thankful that we had that time to bond, and that my body experienced the beauty of nourishing a life. 

When I started Petite Paleo Bakery earlier this year, one of my goals was to make a difference in the community, and especially with families. I chose to bake in honor of Robin and the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation, because they made what I feared at many times to be impossible, possible. I was able to provide one of nature's most precious gifts of love and health to my daughter the first two years of her life. Through our bake sales, we will raise money to help provide this gift to other local families in need, in hopes that they may also have this beautiful and empowering experience. We appreciate your support!

Rose will be offering two separate bakes sales. One for pick up before Thanksgiving and one before the Christmas holiday.

If you are interested in just donating to our nonprofit foundation, feel free to head over to our website. Our End of the Year Fundraising Campaign starts next week and we would love to include you as one of our donors!