March 2009 Newsletter

Dear International Breast Milk Project Hero,

Did you know that by the end of 2009, International Breast Milk Project will have provided over 262,665 ounces of donor breast milk to infants in Africa? That is over 65,665 bottles of breast milk – enough to provide 2,188 infants with a one-month supply of life-giving breast milk. That is a lot of milk! Thank you for helping to make this possible.

I had no idea when I started this organization just 3 years ago that so many other moms would also want to help in this special way. I have been equally amazed at the outpouring of support from dads, grandparents and friends – those of you without freezers full of milk - like Marla Lewis, who has written award-winning children's songs about our program; or Peggy Ehrensperger, a health teacher from Long Island, who raised thousands of dollars by collecting change in bottles; or my dad, Bill Harlan, who talks me through challenging times by constantly quoting lines from the movie Airplane: "Just want to let you know, we're all counting on you."

Be a Breast Milk Hero. Save the Day.
Each one of you has helped make this organization succeed in your own way. And today your continued support is more important than ever before. Make a contribution now.

Right now, hundreds of moms across the US, who have extra breast milk to give, are being turned away. As you may have heard, just a few weeks ago, for the first time, we had to temporarily close our bank for applications. Make a contribution now.

Why? We have outpaced our goals. Thanks to people like Oprah Winfrey, who featured our organization on her show, and Salma Hayek, who recently breastfed a malnourished infant in Africa on ABC World News, demand to donate to infants in Africa has skyrocketed. (If you haven't seen the Salma Hayek story, watch it now – it changed my life.)

I invite you to join Marla, Peggy and my dad in becoming a Breast Milk Hero by making a financial contribution now. Your gift will help us grow so that we can serve more moms who want to join us in the fight against infant malnourishment and hunger in Africa by donating their life-giving milk. Make a contribution now.

Just $16 will help us cover the cost of processing one more bottle of donor milk for an infant in need. $400 will help us cover the cost of the donation process for a new donor from start to finish. Make your $16, $32, $64 or $400 contribution now.

And help us spread the word:
Forward this email and invite your friends and family to join you in becoming a Breast Milk Hero. Write about us on your blog. Join our IBMP Facebook Cause. Follow us on Twitter. You can also track our fundraising success here.

I always look forward to hearing from you. Feel free to email me, send me a Facebook message, text me, or call me anytime.

Jill Youse
Founder
jill@breastmilkproject.org