Midwifery is being attacked from every angle (as always).
Hospital midwives’ hours are being cut.
A birth center is closing.
A licensed midwife practicing at home is losing her license.
We need to unite, as supporters of midwifery in LA, to protect a woman’s right to birth as she chooses and to embrace the amazing men and women who serve as midwives. Have you always wanted to support midwifery or your local midwife but you just weren’t sure how? Now is the time and your time, energy, and talents are sorely needed!
What are we doing?
Forming a non-profit, like a local version of citizens for midwifery, that would serve to:
§ fund a Los Angeles Area Midwives web site and brochure that would list every midwife who practices in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange Counties.
§ Offer scholarships to families who want to hire a midwife but can’t afford to pay out of pocket
§ Disseminate information to the greater Los Angeles community about the benefits of midwifery care
§ Help keep the greater Los Angeles childbirth community networked so that “the right hand knows what the left is doing”
§ Host a fair centrally located in Los Angeles focused on midwives and better birth
Planning a “better birth” or “with woman” fair to honor midwives that will occur sometime in 2006
How do you get involved?
Join us at Diane West’s home (1820 Glenwood Rd Glendale, CA 91201) on June 11, 2005 from 11 am – 4 pm??? to get to know other “movers & shakers” in the childbirth community and to direct your time, energy and talents in a more specific direction. Drinks and snacks will be provided but please feel free to bring a bag lunch to more fully sustain yourself! We will be meeting in her backyard so dress appropriately (she has trees and we’ll set up a canopy for some shade). For directions, see the end of this message.
What is needed?
Non-profit:
General: People to get the non-profit off the ground. One lawyer has offered to incorporate the non-profit and pay for all the appropriate filings for incorporation. Another lawyer has offered to help us file our 501(c)3. But we still need to develop a mission statement and strategic plan. We also need to create a board of directors and figure out how to begin soliciting donations. And of course, develop a budget!
Networking: the majority of doulas are networked through DASC; many homebirthers are networked through HAMS; we need to figure out how to network the childbirth educators and how to make sure that everyone who births with a midwife knows how to support us and how to join HAMS if they want to stay active in the childbirth community
Develop the website and brochure
Fair:
Facilities: Reserve a date and space at Griffith Park or another centrally located park for a Saturday in 2006 either near Mother’s day or in October (midwifery month). Develop a site plan for the fair and work with parks & rec, fire dept., health dept., police dept, etc.
Sponsorship Development: Begin thinking about and talking to potential sponsors for the fair. Identify potential vendors and create a vendor application, research and apply for grants
Marketing & Outreach Conceptualize how to market such an event, create news releases, etc.
Budget & Finances Work out a budget and assign money to each of the other teams, monitor spending, etc.
Programming Secure speakers, plan seminars and activities, decide if we need an area for kids, etc.
for more info contact:
Please forward this message to anyone who might be interested in helping
Alicia,
Why not include the community down here in San Diego? They have been haivng a very difficult time, too.