Nourishing Resilience # 4 – Homework

Session 4 – Homework Summary

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1. Review Handouts

Everything for this session is listed below. New marks a handout you have not seen before; Shared earlier means it appeared in an earlier session.

2.Start a Resource List

Most organizations serving low-resource people will still operate after an emergency. Start compiling a list of these organizations that would be great referral partners during an emergency. While you are searching, look for the emergency services and disaster planning organizations and contacts that serve your area.

See more details here: 

3. Research in Your Community – Donated Human Milk

Find out what options exist in your area for human milk. It’s likely there are more options than you realize. 

Start with these questions: 

• What are the available options for obtaining or donating human milk? Look for community or peer-to-peer options as well as official milk banks.
• For each option:
  • Who does the organization serve?
  • What are the screening or other protective processes in place?
  • What is required to donate human milk?
  • What is required to obtain human milk?

4. Field / Community Experience

If you have already done this, great! We encourage you to go out and support more families or help with (more) organizing.

The best way to get comfortable working with families and sites is to do it. You don’t need to wait for an emergency situation to occur – there are families everywhere who do not have reliable access to safe water and other resources needed to safely feed children under 3 years old, and organizations that try to meet their needs.

Try to attend an event or volunteer with an organization for 1-2 hours in the next month. If possible, try to both help with organizing feeding items and talk with families using the RNA.

Suggested steps to follow:

1. Identify an organization that serves low resource people with young children. You may need to reach out to multiple organizations to find a suitable one. Examples include food banks, diaper banks, or possibly WIC, if you have access.
2. Prepare – Write out what you want to say/ask. Use the Contacting Sites Template. Be sure to include:
   • Who you are, and your organization, if you want to claim one.
     We encourage you to call yourself something like an infant feeding specialist, and avoid titles referring to lactation.
   • Why you are calling. For this experience, you may want to state that you want to help the site organize their baby feeding items and help low-resource families be certain they are feeding their babies and young children as safely as they can with the resources they have access to.
   • Find out when it is convenient for them for you to help.
3. Call or email the organization –  If possible, volunteer to help at an event or during their open to the public hours. If not, you can help sort infant feeding items during volunteer hours. This may help build rapport for later public events.
4. Ask to talk to families about their feeding practices with their young children.
5. Decide what you will bring. See the lists below, and consider if you also want to bring kits, the Quick Reference Guide, or the DIY handout to give families.

Consider Bringing If Organizing Items	Consider Bringing If Talking With Families
Permanent marker, preferably black Safe Storage Guidelines Steps for Safe Distribution of Infant Feeding Supplies Safe Infant Feeding Tips for Families sheet, to hang up. Distribution site resource page	Safe Infant Feeding Tips for Families, for reference & to hang up. Quick Reference Guide, printed or on a card families can scan. Short referral list for other needs (opt) DIY Sanitation Kit handout Sanitation kits, if desired. Family resource page

Handouts, Links & Resources

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