Mothers Milk Bank Of The Western Great Lakes Inc

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - THE MILK BANK EXPANSION PROJECT WILL SUPPLY CRITICAL MOVEABLE EQUIPMENT TO MOTHERS’ MILK BANK OF THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES’ (MILK BANK WGL) NEW FACILITY IN ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL. OUR VISION IS TO LEAD SAFE AND INNOVATIVE MILK BANK PROGRAMMING TO SAVE TINY LIVES AND IMPROVE PEDIATRIC HEALTH. WE PARTNER WITH OVER 90 HOSPITALS AND DOZENS OF HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO FACILITATE MILK DONATION, SUPPORT BEREAVED DONORS, RAISE AWARENESS TO INCREASE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO DONOR MILK, DISTRIBUTE REDUCED COST OR FREE DONOR MILK TO OUTPATIENTS WITH A FINANCIAL OR MEDICAL NEED, AND LEAD SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. ADDITIONAL MOVEABLE EQUIPMENT IS NECESSARY TO STRENGTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENSURE AN UNINTERRUPTED SUPPLY OF DONOR MILK. AS A RESULT, WE EXPECT TO INCREASE DISTRIBUTION TO OVER 1,000,000 OUNCES ANNUALLY BY 2025. AS ILLINOIS’ ONLY NON-PROFIT MILK BANK, WE HAVE OUTGROWN OUR 6,400 SQUARE FOOT SPACE DUE TO INCREASING DEMAND FOR DONOR MILK. WE HAVE SUSTAINED 10-30% YEAR-OVER-YEAR GROWTH SINCE 2016, WHICH LED TO A SHARP PEAK IN 2022 DURING THE NATIONWIDE FORMULA SHORTAGE. HOSPITALS ACROSS ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN FEED OUR PASTEURIZED DONOR MILK TO PEDIATRIC PATIENTS IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (NICU), MATERNITY, AND CARDIAC UNITS. PREMATURE BABIES HAVE FRAGILE, UNDERDEVELOPED GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEMS. HUMAN MILK REDUCES THEIR RISK OF NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS (NEC), A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN PREMATURE BABIES. DONOR MILK IS ALSO USED TO HELP BABIES WITH BLOODSTREAM INFECTIONS, ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, AND GENETIC CONDITIONS. IN SEPTEMBER 2024, WE WILL MOVE OUT OF OUR CURRENT LOCATION INTO A NEW, 15,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY AT 560 BONNIE LANE, ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL 60007. THE TIMELINE FOR THIS MOVE HAS BEEN EXPEDITED DUE TO AN IMMINENT DEMOLITION SCHEDULED FOR OUR CURRENT LEASED FACILITY. THE NEW FACILITY WILL HOUSE A MODERN MILK PROCESSING LAB, RESEARCH LAB, WAREHOUSE, OFFICES, AND COMMUNITY SPACES FOR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION. AS AN FDA REGISTERE D FOOD FACILITY, MOVEABLE EQUIPMENT WILL MEET FEDERAL FOOD CODE REGULATIONS. IN ADDITION, STANDARDS SET BY OUR ACCREDITING BODY, THE HUMAN MILK BANKING ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA, GUIDE LABORATORY SPECIFICATIONS FOR BOTTLING, PASTEURIZING, AND STORING DONOR MILK. TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR MILK, MOVEABLE EQUIPMENT WILL BE PURCHASED TO ENSURE SAFETY WHILE MAXIMIZING EFFICIENCY IN OPERATIONS. HIGHLY SPECIALIZED LAB EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING CIRCULATING WATER BATH PASTEURIZERS, COMMERCIAL FREEZERS, AND AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY EQUIPMENT WILL INCREASE EFFICIENCY TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR DONOR MILK. RESEARCH LAB EQUIPMENT WILL BE USED FOR ANALYTICAL TESTING TO ENSURE SAFETY AND QUALITY. AUDIO VISUAL (AV) AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS OFFICE FURNITURE AND STORAGE, IS REQUIRED TO SUPPORT THE MILK BANK’S GROWING OPERATIONS AND GROWING TEAM. IMPROVING IT INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE SMOOTH OPERATIONS, ACCURATE RECORD KEEPING, AND PROVIDE ADVANCED DATA SECURITY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DATA BREACHES. LASTLY, EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT GROWING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH EFFORTS TARGETED TO THE COMMUNITY AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WILL INCREASE AWARENESS. THE MILK BANK EXPANSION PROJECT WILL UTILIZE $850,000 FROM CDS FUNDS TO PURCHASE THE MOVEABLE EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THIS ESSENTIAL EXPANSION. IT WILL SPECIFICALLY FINANCE THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO OPERATE A MODERN MILK BANK FACILITY WITH EXPANDED PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING. IN ADDITION TO INCREASING DONOR MILK PRODUCTION, THIS PROJECT WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT HOSPITAL PARTNERS, PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, RESEARCH PARTNERS, MILK BANK EMPLOYEES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE MILK DONORS AND FAMILIES WE SERVE.