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Berkshire Nursing Families Launches Fundraising Campaign
01:48PM / Monday, December 15, 2014
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Berkshire Nursing Families, a local nonprofit breastfeeding education and support organization, has begun a major fundraising campaign called “Double Down 4 BNF.”

Every dollar pledged to Berkshire Nursing Families before Dec. 31 will be matched up to $40,000 by a generous donor, who supports BNF’s mission to improve the lifelong health of Berkshire County through the promotion and support of breastfeeding.

“This past spring when North Adams Regional Hospital closed we lost our home and partner of 16 years and almost half of our operating budget," said Rosalie Girard, executive director of Berkshire Nursing Families. “It has been a bumpy year, but we have served over 700 families in 2014, the most in our almost 20 year history.”

BNF provides free professional breastfeeding consultations, seven days a week, in client homes, in clinics, and by phone, to all Northern and Central County residents and those delivering at local hospitals. In close collaboration with Berkshire Medical Center, the VNA, local family resource agencies and the WIC Program, BNF also offers childbirth and breastfeeding classes, the Teen to 23 Project and pump rentals, and serves as a model for community lactation support. Weekly playgroups are held at the Family Resource Center in North Adams and the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield.

As a nonprofit organization, BNF provides these free services through the generous support of Northern Berkshire United Way, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, James and Robert Hardman Fund, William & Margery Barrett Fund, Central Berkshire Fund, City of Pittsfield Human Services Advisory Council, and MountainOne Bank. Equally essential is the support of local businesses, churches, private donors, and the participants of our annual Team Trivia night.

“Because breastfeeding impacts so many aspects of family wellness — from reducing health concerns like asthma, to improving mother-child bonding — the organization makes a powerful contribution to the well-being of our community," BNF Central County Coordinator and lactation consultant Debbie Windover said. "This is an opportunity for anyone who believes that families should be supported in their early days of breastfeeding to support BNF in providing that assistance.”

To contribute to “Double Down 4 BNF” and help Berkshire Nursing Families raise $80,000, visit www.bnf.support.

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