August is National Breastfeeding Month, with celebrations occurring throughout the month beginning with World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1st-7th), Indigenous Milk Medicine Week (Aug. 8th-14th), Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 15th-21th), Black Breastfeeding Week (Aug.22nd-31st) and Semana de La Lactancia Latina (Setp. 3rd- September 9th).
National Breastfeeding Awareness Month is a time to support community-centered lactation advocacy, education, and support. During this time, we focus on promoting evidence-based maternity care practices, and decreasing racial disparities in breastfeeding in my community, across the Commonwealth, and beyond.
Mayor Sarno issued the city's first proclamation to mark this important Semana de La Lactancia Latina (Setp. 3rd- September 9th). The Semana de La Lactancia Latina movement began in in 2023. Earlier this month. on Thursday, August 1, 2024 Chief of Staff Bill Baker, on behalf of Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, joined with Mayoral Aide Shenell Ford, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and founder of Heart2Heartbeat Lactation & Wellness and local advocates once again recognize and support National Breastfeeding Month here in Springfield with a flag raising ceremony at City Hall. As part of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, Ms. Ford and fellow IBCLC & founder of Pioneer Valley Lactation Moryn Mendoza organized the city’s first Annual Community Breastfeeding Awareness Walk and resource fair this year to be held at Blunt Park on Sunday, August 4th.
Mayor Sarno states, “I commend Ms. Ford – ‘Shenell.’ She has really worked hard to get the word out and to help educate and support others on this very important nurturing mother and child public health aspect for all families in our community. Thanks to her continued leadership advocating for mothers and families, and thanks to the efforts from my first Chief Divers and Inclusion Officer Attorney Talia Gee, city employees now have a dedicated parental leave lactation room right here in City Hall to privately and comfortably attend to their lactation needs. Shenell is wonderful mother and a truly dedictaed advocate, I am proud to continue to support Shenell in raising awareness on this life-giving cause.”
