BLOOMINGTON—IU Health Community Health at 333 East Miller Drive in Bloomington is proud to expand the use of safe human milk in Monroe County by becoming a new donation site for The Milk Bank-approved donors.
“Monroe County has some of the highest breastfeeding rates in the state, and the parents in our community support each other in many ways, one of which is milk donation,” says Whitney Callahan, RN, IBCLC, Community Health Women, Infants and Children (WIC) breastfeeding coordinator. “We also have many NICU parents whose babies received donor milk and are eager to give back with their own donations. Having an easy-to-access milk depot will help remove barriers for those families.”
Since 2022, Monroe County has had over 40 approved donors who have donated over 18,000 ounces. The new IU Health Community Health Milk Depot is an opportunity to grow that network and improve access to safe human milk for those infants who need this resource.
The Milk Bank’s CEO, Freedom Kolb shares, “Based on the incredible lifesaving impact of donor milk, our goal at The Milk Bank is to ensure all fragile infants have access to safe human milk. Thanks to IU Health Community Health’s leadership, local families can do just that. Their commitment to babies is a bright spot for infant health and will no doubt save lives.”
This new milk depot in Bloomington offers a convenient location for established donors to donate breastmilk and ensure they are safely transported to The Milk Bank. These donations are then bottled, pasteurized and tested for sterility by an independent lab to ensure they are safe. The safe human milk is dispensed to a hospital or an outpatient with a physician’s prescription for this resource.
If you’re interested in becoming a milk donor, start the process online or call 317-536-1670.
