Malia Gilbert Neal is fundraising
Help us Open a Birth Center in Philadelphia!
The Philadelphia Midwife Collective is a nonprofit midwifery practice based in Northwest Philadelphia and we are raising funds to open Philadelphia’s first freestanding birth center. Please help us reach our goal of $50,000, which will be used to open a facility in historic Germantown by Spring 2020.
Our ultimate goal is to provide intimate, inclusive, and socially conscious community midwifery that is unlike anything currently available in the area.
Why a Nonprofit Birth Center?
Infant and maternal mortality rates are higher in America than anywhere else in the developed world. What’s more -- marginalized populations such as people of color and LGBTQ+ are disproportionately affected:
- Nationally, black women die at four times the rate of non-hispanic white women due to pregnancy-related complications
- In Philadelphia, 74% of recorded maternal deaths were in the Black community
- LGBTQ+ individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination and denial of their civil and human rights
In contrast, birth center care recognizes and celebrates people’s dignity and humanity. It is also safe and effective:
- Nine out of ten birthing people (94%) who enter labor planning a birth center birth achieve a vaginal birth.
- This means that the C-section rate in birth centers is more than four times lower than what is seen among low-risk patients in the U.S., which decrease short and long-term health implications for mothers and babies.
Opening a birth center in Philadelphia will be a transformative step toward making holistic health care options more accessible to residents of the city and the surrounding area while contributing to a broader effort to provide care that is safe, affirming, and client-centered. As a nonprofit, clients are assured that our work and our values are driven by the community rather than profits.
Where are Contributions Going?
Roughly $20,000 will provide two months of rent and a security deposit for a facility that fits at least two birth suites
$10,000 will be put toward construction (we hope to bring new life to an old Germantown property)
Approximately $7,800 will help us to secure vital equipment like two infant scales, a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen levels, a fetal nonstress test machine (used to gauge a baby’s wellbeing), and an infant transport incubator.
$5,000 will secure an ultrasound machine
$4,000 will cover the fee for accreditation through the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC)
$2,700 will be used to purchase six Dopplers for fetal monitoring
$2,500 will go towards an electronic medical records (EMR) system
What Do I Get in Exchange for my Gift?
$5,000: Naming rights for a PMC birth suite , plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (2 available)
$1,000: 1 full day presentation for a Birth Professionals group by Jackie Roeder Kelleher based on her new book, Nurturing the Family: Intentional, Active Support Strategies for Busy Birth Professionals (must be used within 1 year), plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (1 available)
$500: 3 months of Active Birth Professional Mentorship with Jackie Roeder Kelleher of NurturingTheDoula.com (must be used within 1 year), plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (2 available)
$250: Consultation with Blue Moon Lactation Services (must be used within 1 year), plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (5 available)
$100: Signature placement on PMC “Founding Family” wall plus a PMC mug and tote (100 available)
$50: PMC Mug (25 available)
$25: PMC tote (50 available)
$10: Recognition as a donor on the PMC website
Why Germantown?
Germantown is at the center of the city and is easily accessible by public transit. We like it here and our clients do, too. With an 80% African American population, and a sizeable LGBTQ+ community, we will be able to serve those who can most benefit from the midwifery model of care.
What if PMC doesn't meet its fundraising goal?
While this campaign is certainly intended to raise money, we also want to raise awareness of the need for midwifery care and help our city to connect with our mission. So it's a win-win no matter what. We are fortunate to have a robust fundraising plan, an engaged Board of Directors and a wonderful community of partners who believe in this work. At the end of the campaign, we will host a celebration that invites donors to place their signature on a commemorative document that will be beautifully displayed on our "Founding Family" wall in our new space.
About The Philadelphia Midwife Collective
PMC was founded by two Certified Nurse Midwives, Alison Cutts Vantilburg and Kara McQuillan (or “The Midwives” as we like to call them), in response to a stark gap in services in Philadelphia. Through their practice, they heard time and again from clients that they weren’t being listened to, their needs weren’t being met, and they weren’t receiving competent care from providers.
In creating PMC, The Midwives wanted to create a safe, responsive, and affirming space that was committed to reproductive justice, sexual health, and birth options. Using the midwifery model of care, which emphasizes respect, education, time, and bodily autonomy/consent, The Midwives help clients to achieve confident, supported labor and birth.
PMC currently offers prenatal, birth and postpartum care at home or their collaborating hospital, gynecology/well-person/primary care, Pap testing, STI/infection screening, evaluation and management of pelvic/sexual pain, chest/breast issues, fertility care including intrauterine insemination (IUI) with natural or medicated cycles; health maintenance screenings and referrals, physical exams, and management of minor health concerns.
Other offerings provided by the collective include lactation and chiropractic services.
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Thank you in advance for your support. Please stay connected by joining our email list on our website: www.PhiladelphiaMidwifeCollective.org. If you have questions or want to get involved with the campaign, email us at [email redacted]
Our ultimate goal is to provide intimate, inclusive, and socially conscious community midwifery that is unlike anything currently available in the area.
Why a Nonprofit Birth Center?
Infant and maternal mortality rates are higher in America than anywhere else in the developed world. What’s more -- marginalized populations such as people of color and LGBTQ+ are disproportionately affected:
- Nationally, black women die at four times the rate of non-hispanic white women due to pregnancy-related complications
- In Philadelphia, 74% of recorded maternal deaths were in the Black community
- LGBTQ+ individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination and denial of their civil and human rights
In contrast, birth center care recognizes and celebrates people’s dignity and humanity. It is also safe and effective:
- Nine out of ten birthing people (94%) who enter labor planning a birth center birth achieve a vaginal birth.
- This means that the C-section rate in birth centers is more than four times lower than what is seen among low-risk patients in the U.S., which decrease short and long-term health implications for mothers and babies.
Opening a birth center in Philadelphia will be a transformative step toward making holistic health care options more accessible to residents of the city and the surrounding area while contributing to a broader effort to provide care that is safe, affirming, and client-centered. As a nonprofit, clients are assured that our work and our values are driven by the community rather than profits.
Where are Contributions Going?
Roughly $20,000 will provide two months of rent and a security deposit for a facility that fits at least two birth suites
$10,000 will be put toward construction (we hope to bring new life to an old Germantown property)
Approximately $7,800 will help us to secure vital equipment like two infant scales, a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen levels, a fetal nonstress test machine (used to gauge a baby’s wellbeing), and an infant transport incubator.
$5,000 will secure an ultrasound machine
$4,000 will cover the fee for accreditation through the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC)
$2,700 will be used to purchase six Dopplers for fetal monitoring
$2,500 will go towards an electronic medical records (EMR) system
What Do I Get in Exchange for my Gift?
$5,000: Naming rights for a PMC birth suite , plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (2 available)
$1,000: 1 full day presentation for a Birth Professionals group by Jackie Roeder Kelleher based on her new book, Nurturing the Family: Intentional, Active Support Strategies for Busy Birth Professionals (must be used within 1 year), plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (1 available)
$500: 3 months of Active Birth Professional Mentorship with Jackie Roeder Kelleher of NurturingTheDoula.com (must be used within 1 year), plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (2 available)
$250: Consultation with Blue Moon Lactation Services (must be used within 1 year), plus signature placement on the PMC “Founding Family” wall, as well as a PMC mug and tote (5 available)
$100: Signature placement on PMC “Founding Family” wall plus a PMC mug and tote (100 available)
$50: PMC Mug (25 available)
$25: PMC tote (50 available)
$10: Recognition as a donor on the PMC website
Why Germantown?
Germantown is at the center of the city and is easily accessible by public transit. We like it here and our clients do, too. With an 80% African American population, and a sizeable LGBTQ+ community, we will be able to serve those who can most benefit from the midwifery model of care.
What if PMC doesn't meet its fundraising goal?
While this campaign is certainly intended to raise money, we also want to raise awareness of the need for midwifery care and help our city to connect with our mission. So it's a win-win no matter what. We are fortunate to have a robust fundraising plan, an engaged Board of Directors and a wonderful community of partners who believe in this work. At the end of the campaign, we will host a celebration that invites donors to place their signature on a commemorative document that will be beautifully displayed on our "Founding Family" wall in our new space.
About The Philadelphia Midwife Collective
PMC was founded by two Certified Nurse Midwives, Alison Cutts Vantilburg and Kara McQuillan (or “The Midwives” as we like to call them), in response to a stark gap in services in Philadelphia. Through their practice, they heard time and again from clients that they weren’t being listened to, their needs weren’t being met, and they weren’t receiving competent care from providers.
In creating PMC, The Midwives wanted to create a safe, responsive, and affirming space that was committed to reproductive justice, sexual health, and birth options. Using the midwifery model of care, which emphasizes respect, education, time, and bodily autonomy/consent, The Midwives help clients to achieve confident, supported labor and birth.
PMC currently offers prenatal, birth and postpartum care at home or their collaborating hospital, gynecology/well-person/primary care, Pap testing, STI/infection screening, evaluation and management of pelvic/sexual pain, chest/breast issues, fertility care including intrauterine insemination (IUI) with natural or medicated cycles; health maintenance screenings and referrals, physical exams, and management of minor health concerns.
Other offerings provided by the collective include lactation and chiropractic services.
__
Thank you in advance for your support. Please stay connected by joining our email list on our website: www.PhiladelphiaMidwifeCollective.org. If you have questions or want to get involved with the campaign, email us at [email redacted]
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