Birth Strides Doula Fund
Tax deductible
Birth Strides, located in and serving Memphis, TN is the state’s first community-based organization that provides FREE Doula services to Black families. Our organization was founded by Doula and current Student Midwife, Terri Lee-Johnson, using the framework of Reproductive Justice. Our program makes it easier for Black women, with fewer resources, to access much needed prenatal, birth, and postpartum support and those desiring to provide these services in their communities.
Birth Strides’ mission is to offer support and education that results in well trained birth workers supporting mothers in under-served Black communities in our city. Our vision is that these communities cultivate internal support networks, gain additional employment opportunities, and nurture healthy mothers and babies.
In March 2017, we began to fulfill our mission. Currently, the program offers access to trained doulas, who are non-medical support persons, at no cost to Black expectant parents lacking support during their childbearing year. To date, we have served over 100 families by providing no cost doula services, childbirth education, lactation education and support, birth circles, emergency groceries, baby supplies and clothing, and transportation. We have also trained four doulas (including books, materials, and a stipend) and provided the resources for two of our doulas to become Certified Lactation Counselors and Midwife’s Assistants, all at no cost to them.
We recognize that culturally safe education and support from within each of our unique neighborhoods can encourage better birth outcomes for our Memphis families. With this in mind, we specifically employ black women to provide this care. Our selected neighborhoods currently include Hickory Hill, Binghampton, Orange Mound, South Memphis, Frayser, Whitehaven, and North Memphis. These wonderful communities have the highest rates of poor birth outcomes due to systemic racism and marginalization of Black birthing parents and babies in healthcare.
As we make these resources available to local families, we are asking the community at large to support us. Your monetary contributions will help us to continue serving these worthy families. We are in need of more doulas at Birth Strides. We have dozens of requests, for doulas, monthly and are fighting to keep up with the demand. Please, help us to increase our capacity to assist these families. By doing so, you not only make doula support more accessible to Black families, you also make it possible for more Black women to train and provide these services in their own communities.
Please note that your donation is for Birth Strides.
Our fiscal sponsor, Project Motherpath, Inc. is a 501c3 organization working to normalize and revalue all aspects of motherhood through education, outreach, community building and activism. They began as a pair of mamas who wanted to organize a local revolution, and create change - one birth, one mama at a time. Their mission is to empower women and families by providing quality care, education and support focused on fostering independence and respectfully guiding them through the often challenging journey of pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.
Birth Strides
Birth Strides’ mission is to offer support and education that results in well trained birth workers supporting mothers in under-served Black communities in our city. Our vision is that these communities cultivate internal support networks, gain additional employment opportunities, and nurture healthy mothers and babies.
In March 2017, we began to fulfill our mission. Currently, the program offers access to trained doulas, who are non-medical support persons, at no cost to Black expectant parents lacking support during their childbearing year. To date, we have served over 100 families by providing no cost doula services, childbirth education, lactation education and support, birth circles, emergency groceries, baby supplies and clothing, and transportation. We have also trained four doulas (including books, materials, and a stipend) and provided the resources for two of our doulas to become Certified Lactation Counselors and Midwife’s Assistants, all at no cost to them.
We recognize that culturally safe education and support from within each of our unique neighborhoods can encourage better birth outcomes for our Memphis families. With this in mind, we specifically employ black women to provide this care. Our selected neighborhoods currently include Hickory Hill, Binghampton, Orange Mound, South Memphis, Frayser, Whitehaven, and North Memphis. These wonderful communities have the highest rates of poor birth outcomes due to systemic racism and marginalization of Black birthing parents and babies in healthcare.
As we make these resources available to local families, we are asking the community at large to support us. Your monetary contributions will help us to continue serving these worthy families. We are in need of more doulas at Birth Strides. We have dozens of requests, for doulas, monthly and are fighting to keep up with the demand. Please, help us to increase our capacity to assist these families. By doing so, you not only make doula support more accessible to Black families, you also make it possible for more Black women to train and provide these services in their own communities.
Please note that your donation is for Birth Strides.
Our fiscal sponsor, Project Motherpath, Inc. is a 501c3 organization working to normalize and revalue all aspects of motherhood through education, outreach, community building and activism. They began as a pair of mamas who wanted to organize a local revolution, and create change - one birth, one mama at a time. Their mission is to empower women and families by providing quality care, education and support focused on fostering independence and respectfully guiding them through the often challenging journey of pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.
Birth Strides
Fundraising team: Terri Lee-Johnson and Kimathi Coleman (2)
Terri Lee-Johnson
Organizer
Memphis, TN
Project Motherpath, Inc.
Beneficiary
Kimathi Coleman
Team member