August 31, 2015 Meeting Minutes
Attendance: Lynn, Tamera, Aidan, Evie, Augustus, Lindsey, Henry, Scarlet, Tina, Stephanie, Rose, Amanda, Laura, Diane
Welcome to new attendees– Tamera and Lindsey
1 Intros– Tamera is a doula and moved here from San Diego. She initiated the Lansing mayoral proclamation of August 10 as Breastfeeding Law Awareness Day, and organized a Capitol rally and TV coverage. Lyndsey is a La Leche League leader, and also is administrator of the Breastfeeding in East Lansing facebook page.
2.World Breastfeeding Week/Breastfeeding Month: 2015 was the best ever in the Lansing area! Congratulations to all who planned, participated, and celebrated this August. Here’s a recap:
- Big Latch-On at Mother & Earth Baby Boutique on July 31 and August 1. $107 earned for the Coalition– Yay!
- Milky Way screening, sponsored by Willow Tree and EPO.
- Lugnuts outing— Attended by about 30. Proceeds to benefit the Coalition
- Breastfeeding Week Calendar— thanks, Nicole, for the great flyer with the August breastfeeding events.
- LLL event: Live, Love, Latch! Delta Waverly and East Lansing La Leche League groups hosted the first ever Live, Love, Latch! event for our area. 106 attended (33 families). Group photo and mini breastfeeding photo sessions and gift bags and door prizes from sponsors. News coverage from Channel 6.
- World Breastfeeding Hike–, Papoose group hike to benefit the Coalition.
- Normalize Breastfeeding rally at the Capitol to celebrate Mayoral Proclamation of Breastfeeding Law Day.
- Black Mothers Breastfeeding Week- info posted on Facebook page for Lift Every Baby events around the country.
Other celebrations: Iowa held their Live, Love, Latch at the state capitol; life-size cardboard breastfeeding cutouts were placed in communities (supplied by local health departments); bean-bag toss with boobs and a mouth.
Ideas for 2016: Big Latch-On at the Capitol one of the two days, Sponsor or co-sponsor an event for Black Mothers Breastfeeding Week, try for more news coverage. (Alexis Risotto is a local reporter who is interested in breastfeeding stories).
- MI Breastfeeding Network: Quarterly webinar on fundraising and fiscal sponsorship for local coalitions, Sept. 24, noon- 1 p.m. Diane will plan to sign-in. Everyone welcome– ask Diane for log in details or conference call #.
4.Breastfeeding friendly businesses– Visit https://mibreastfedbaby.com/ to add a business. Lynn shared two graphic designs for the decals– the group agreed on one. Action: Lynn will order decals.
- Cookies and Milk— Lynn has started a monthly support group for breastfeeding moms at Mother & Earth Baby Boutique called “Milk & Cookies”. See calendar at www.motherandearth.com
- EL Art Fair– Diane contacted McLaren marketing about the First Aid tent and was referred to another staffer. No call yet. Action: Diane will call McLaren again.
- Ingham County–Baby Cafe at Ingham is going well. It is held 1 – 3 p.m. on Thursdays, which is new baby day. There are dual flyers to promote both locations. Ingham is planning a grand opening event.
- La Leche League- Lindsey posts all local support meetings (LLL Delta-Waverly, LLL East Lansing, Baby Cafe) on the BF in EL Google calendar Lansing BF Support Group Calendar
- Willow Tree Family Center– The CABC sent a support letter for the Flourishing Families grant to the Capitol Region Community Foundation. Thanks all who reviewed and commented on the letter. Willow Tree has asked if CABC could set up a Rock and Rest for a rally for Improving Birth at Ferris Park on September 12. Need a tent, flyers, camp chairs, changing pad, banner, etc.
- Association for Child Development— Amanda reported that ACD celebrated Breastfeeding Month. Amanda will be speaking at a Child Care Conference in October– “Child Connect for Family Success”– she is speaking on Breastfeeding and will show the video on paced feeding.
- Rock and Rest options: discussion about how to have a point person or organization to help coordinate Rock and Rest equipment, materials, volunteers, and requests to set one up for events. Question asked re: how other coalitions handle this. Need some funds for equipment (or equipment to borrow), such as a tent, camp chairs, table, changing pad, wipes and supplies. Also need space to store the equipment and a point person who makes sure that things get to where they need to go and schedules events.
- Lansing area support group meetings: Discussion re: whether there are sufficient support groups in the Lansing area, or if there is still unserved needs. Also, are support groups accessible re: location and bus lines, etc. For any expansion of La Leche League, there is a need for more leaders. Current support groups are on the far east side of Lansing (East Lansing LLL), south side of Lansing (Baby Cafe at Ingham County HD, and on S. Cedar), and far west side (Delta township), plus southwest Lansing at the McLaren location of La Leche League. Discussion about meeting the needs of African American moms in the Lansing area.
13. Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association– Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association 6th National Seminar, “The Relationship of Place, Race and Breastfeeding on Pre-Term Birth Outcomes”, October 2, Henry Ford Hospital Buerki Auditorium, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48202.
- List of coalition members on website– Diane has not worked on the email to members yet. Action: Diane to email members re: posting names
- CABC Fundraising– discussion re: fundraisers such as “Help Out Dine Out”– Noodles and Company, Culvers’, Marco’s Pizza, Max & Erma’s, Schuler’s book store are options. Some request “food runners” to help out; some just ask customers to say you’re there for the event.
Wishlist for funds includes:
- Table top display
- MiBFN membership–$50 (unless this is waived)
- Gift bags, supplies and materials,
- Car window clings, “I breastfeed anywhere”
- Baby cafe and other BF support group needs
- License to breastfeed cards– printing and laminating
- Support scholarships for on-line training through Breastfeeding USA
- Rock and Rest tent, table, changing pad, chairs, supplies.
Action–(from June meeting) seeking a template letter for requesting donations, as a model for us to develop one for the coalition.
- Volunteer list–Action (from June meeting)–suggest a list of “mother-size” jobs that could be done from home or a little at a time, such as Resource Guide checking (websites, phone numbers), asking businesses if they will display window clings, delivering window clings and post on website, coordinating Rock and Rest materials and requests.
No updates tonight from: CABC display & banner, EPO Baby Cafe, MSU Extension Peer Counseling, Sparrow.
Next Meeting: Monday, September 28, 5:30 – 7:30. Lynn will send out minutes and Diane will post on CABC Facebook page.