Springfield-Greene County Health is proud to join the Greater Ozarks Regional Breastfeeding Coalition and nonprofit milk bank, The Milk Bank in reopening the Greater Ozarks Regional Mother’s Milk Depot at 1720 W. Grand St. in Springfield.
The Greater Ozarks Regional Mother’s Milk Depot will serve as a drop-off site for The Milk Bank’s approved milk donors. Milk collected locally is shipped to The Milk Bank’s lab in Indianapolis for processing, pasteurization and distribution. Pasteurized Donor Human Milk is then dispensed to hospital NICUs and outpatient families to provide lifesaving nutrition for premature or sick infants.
“The Milk Bank has already been working with our hospitals locally to provide breast milk for babies who need it,” said Tawana Frazier, Nutritionist and Lactation Consultant with Springfield-Greene County WIC. “Reopening the Greater Ozarks Regional Mother’s Milk Depot as a donation site allows us to fully support the needs of our community, and we are grateful for The Milk Bank’s partnership.”
Previously, the Greater Ozarks Regional Mother’s Milk Depot worked with another nonprofit milk bank until they closed their doors in January 2022. The new partnership with The Milk Bank will once again give Springfield-Greene County individuals a convenient milk donation site after almost two years. Over 100 thousand ounces of milk were collected throughout 9 years of service at the previous Greater Ozarks Regional Mother’s Milk Depot donation site.
"The Milk Bank has been serving fragile Missouri infants since 2006, and we look forward to deepening our impact,” said Mary Timmel, Missouri-based Regional Advancement Coordinator for The Milk Bank. “We are thrilled to partner with the Greater Ozarks Regional Mother’s Milk Depot and make milk donation convenient for milk donors throughout the Springfield-Greene County region."
Individuals can apply to be a breast milk donor or recipient through The Milk Bank. Once screened and approved to donate, donors must coordinate drop-off times by calling 417-864-1529.
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Media may contact the Health Department PIO Team by call or text at 417-380-2556 or email at [email protected].
Springfield-Greene County Health
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About The Milk Bank: The Milk Bank is a non-profit tissue bank dispensing more than 400,000 ounces of pasteurized donor human milk to hospitals and families throughout the region every year. The Milk Bank improves health outcomes for premature and ill infants, fosters better health for children and decreases health care costs. The Milk Bank follows the strictest safety standards informed by the CDC and FDA and is a proud member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). Visit themilkbank.org/ to learn more.