For Immediate Release:
Healthy Start Coalition Receives $40,000 Grant from the Bank of America Client Foundation to support Save My Life Program
Sarasota, FL – The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Bank of America Client Foundation, Virginia White Clark Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, to support its Save My Life Program.
Created in 2006 in response to the alarming racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes, the Save My Life Program was designed to address the significantly higher rates of poor birth and health outcomes, such as low birth weight, prematurity, and fetal and infant death experienced by African-Americans. The Save My Life Program offers culturally relevant education provided in group settings or home visits about a variety of health and pregnancy-related topics. The Program provides the tools and information women need to have healthy pregnancies, birth healthy babies, and become healthier themselves.
Classes are offered free-of-charge at various locations throughout the Newtown and North Sarasota areas and cover topics such as childbirth education, breastfeeding, nutrition, safe sleep, preconception and interconception health, smoking cessation, and more. Save My Life also offers free one-on-one breastfeeding support after the birth of the baby, increasing the likelihood that nursing will continue allowing babies to get the right balance of nutrients, immune protection, and bonding to help them get a healthy start. Through the Safe Sleep Sarasota Initiative, supported by grants from the Florida Winefest Foundation and the Sarasota Kiwanis Foundation, program participants receive free “Safe Sleep Survival Kits”, including a convertible bassinet, upon completing the program.
“The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County is grateful to the Bank of America Client Foundation for the renewal of this grant,” says Executive Director, Shon Ewens. “The Save My Life Program is an essential part of the Newtown Community. Without this funding, we wouldn’t be able to ensure that these important services are available to moms and babies that need them.”
The Save My Life Program reaches about a hundred pregnant women, new mothers, and women of childbearing age each year. For more information about the program and all of The Healthy Start Coalition’s services, please visit healthystartsarasota.org.
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