THE FIRST FOOD FRIENDLY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE (3FCI)
Communities Matter: Transforming the Local Landscape for Healthier Mothers and Babies
Whatever the question, the answer is in the community .
Why aren’t more women breastfeeding?
Rethink WHO is actually doing the breastfeeding
Community as Partner Community environment and influences as a social determinant of breastfeeding success.
What we find in too many communities
What is a first food desert? No easily accessible support groups Less than 15% of the doctors referred to an LC No nursing mothers rooms in public places General “ invisibility ” of breastfeeding No Baby Friendly Hospital within 40 mins No culturally relevant IBCLC ’ s More than 50% of community members reported being “ uncomfortable with nursing in public. ”
Selling breast milk: economic empowerment or exploitation? • Medolac campaign to “Increase Breastfeeding and Economic Empowerment in Urban Areas” • Mother’s Milk Cooperative to enroll new urban breast milk donors, providing breastfeeding support and compensation • Partnership to include key support by local partners in target urban markets
Economic and racial elements • Ethical questions about targeting low- income Detroit women • No research supporting impact on breastfeeding frequency/duration • Approved members paid $1/ounce; Sold to hospitals for ~$7/ounce • Milk collected in Detroit not used for Detroit babies • No collaboration with community BF support groups
Community Response • BMBFA, BMU, Mothering Justice, Moms Rising • Open letter to Medolac from Detroit mothers • Twitter (#stopmedolac)/Facebook • Local and national media coverage (see examples)
Result • Medolac Laboratories Retires Planned Urban Donor Commitment to Action Campaign Unimplemented • Community organizing successful – empowerment AA women & local breastfeeding organizations • Contributes to/encourages further collaboration on improving breastfeeding and infant mortality rates in Detroit
Transform “ first food deserts ” into… communities.
“What you think of someone will determine what you are willing to do for someone.”
MEDIA STEREOTYPES
Liability
What do you really know?
The Community of Us
Breastfeeding is Communal
Mothers need to be supported where they eat, work, play and worship
First Food Friendly Community Initiative (3FCI) • Engage all elements of community • Physicians • Faith-based groups • Businesses/Restaurants • Schools/ Colleges • Retailers/ Malls • Parks/Public places/Public transportation
Pilot Cities: Detroit Philadelphia Racine County, WI
Step 1: Assess community resources and sentiment. Identify gaps
Academic Advisory Council Community-Partnered Participatory Research Model (CPPR) Christiaan Morssink, MPH, PhD, Angela M. Johnson, MPH, PhD United Nations Association U of M Department of Multicultural University of Pennsylvania Health
Step 2: Educate: Develop curriculum and training tools
Step 3: Empower & Sustain: Put community members to work implementing ongoing education and outreach
Step 4: Reward: With community recognition/certification
Are they ready? • Community readiness is a prerequisite for mobilization for a specific goal. The stronger the community's sense of identity, cohesion, and connectedness, the more likely it is that the community is ready to mobilize to address a specific issue .
Comm-unity Comm-unicate
Houston, we have a communications problem
BIGGER THAN BREASTFEEDING
Focus on HOW not WHAT
Beneficial not sacrificial
“This is how change takes place in living systems, not from above but from within, from many local actions occurring simultaneously.” -- Grace Lee Boggs
#NoMotherLeftBehind #NoCommunityLeftBehind
www.BeFirstFoodFriendly.org
Contact 3FCI Project Director, Kimberly Seals Allers ksealsallers@gmail.com Kiddada Green KiddadaG@BMBFA.org Duane Kinnon Duane@KinnonGroup.com Project Coordinator, Doreen Dankerlui, MPH Doreen.3FCI@gmail.com Research Assistant, Preethi Patil, MPH Preethi.3FCI@gmail.com
Kimberly Seals Allers ksealsallers@gmail.com Twitter: @iamKSealsAllers
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