Spring | July 3, 2018
INTERESTING 2018 FACTS
  • DONORS SCREENED : 700
  • MILK DISPENSED : 4519 Litres
  • # OF PROVINCES SERVED: 7
  • AVERAGE DONOR AGE: 31
  • HOW DID MOST DONORS HEAR ABOUT NMMB: Through a friend!!!
GRATITUDE
Our community continues to surprise us with generous financial donations and heartfelt support. We cannot say thank you enough for sharing our stories and making it possible to improve our service. Community support is vital in our ability to help the most fragile population and ensure that all babies have access to donor human milk.
CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE

This organization of women is directly impacting charities in Calgary through financial donations and awareness campaigns. The $31,725 donation raised by 100 Women Who Care has been allocated to our Charitable Care Program so that all babies have access to donor human milk regardless of their financial circumstance. More information on 100 Women Who Care can be found below.
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Calgary Children's Foundation

The 2018 Calgary Children’s Foundation this Pledge Day raised $265,800 for charities in Calgary. This fundraiser was started in 1974 to support the Cerebral Palsy Association but has since expanded to include numerous worthy charities. The proceeds are split up amongst selected charities and NorthernStar was awarded $7500 to put towards our Charitable Care Program. If you would like to support the Calgary Children's Foundation, click on the link below.

Shaw Birdies for Kids
presented by AltaLink

This summer we will once again be participating in the Shaw Birdies for Kids fundraising program. Birdies for Kids aims to m ake a greater impact on youth-based charities in Alberta through the Shaw Charity Classic gold tournament and related events. Funds raised are matched up to 50%, so i f you are considering making a donation to NorthernStar or another fantastic charity in town, this is a great way to make your donation go further. Use the link below to find out more.

Community & Facilities
Enhancement Program

We are honoured and grateful to receive funding from the Community and Facilities Enhancement Program (CFEP). This funding will help NorthernStar continue to serve our most fragile population and increase our community reach. A heartfelt thank you to the Honourable Brandy Payne for her continued support and being an advocate for the awareness and benefits of donor human milk.
2018 HUMAN MILK BANKING CONFERENCE
Denver, CO was the setting of the 2018 HMBANA Human Milk Banking Conference where five of our staff participated in discussions surrounding new research in the field of human milk banking. It is so exciting to see progress and valuable work put into learning more about the life-saving benefits of donor human milk. In addition, we had the opportunity to tour Mother's Milk Bank to see how they service babies in Colorado. It was an inspiring and informative weekend and we are looking forward to our next gathering in Chicago 2019.

Pictured below are staff from all four HMBANA Milk Banks in Canada. NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank (AB), BC Women’s and Children’s Milk Bank (BC), Rogers Hixon Milk Bank (ONT) and Montréal’s Héma-Québec Milk Bank (QC).
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
IODE

Jannette Festival (Executive Director) was thrilled for the opportunity to be the guest speaker at the 98 th Annual Meeting of the Provincial Chapter of Alberta, IODE. The theme of the meeting was ‘Mountains of Possibilities’ and was held in beautiful Canmore, Alberta. Members were very excited to learn about milk banking and the impact of their donations through the IODE’s continuous support.

Pictured above: Jane Cushing (2nd Vice-President & Services Officer), Angela, Jannette & Jenny
STAMPEDE ROAD RACE
-Volunteer Call to Action-
On July 8th, NorthernStar will be volunteering at the 2018 Stampede Road Race. We will be stationed at one of the water tables making sure the runners are hydrated and getting lots of cheers. We are looking for a few more individuals to help us make this event memorable and celebrate the participants. If you would like to join our team for a couple hours in the morning, please send us an email to contact@northernstarmilkbank.ca
SUMMER BREASTFEEDING CLASSES
We will be continuing our monthly breastfeeding classes throughout the summer. This class is free to first time moms who would like some help navigating the first few weeks with their newborn. Skills and strategies such as breastfeeding positions, proper latch, feeding frequency and troubleshooting are all areas that our lactation consultant will address.

Our July class has been set for Monday, July 30 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm . Our August date is flexible and can be based on the availability of a few participants.

Give us a call or email us at contact@nothernstarmilkbank.ca if you are interested in attending.