The New Moms Golf Outing on September 11, 2024 will welcome 150+ guests, including civic, philanthropic, and business leaders. Celebrate and support New Moms’ progress over 40 years and our innovative vision for the future. Golf, great food and drink, silent auction, and raffles are featured along with a presentation.

Celebrate the strength and resilience of young mothers and tee off for bright futures with us!

Your support has been instrumental in fostering brighter futures for the families we serve. In this 2023 Annual Report, we have compiled an overview of the initiatives, projects, and success stories that have been fueled by the generosity of our community.

You will find evidence of the power of generosity, and how it can create multi-generational change. From equipping young moms to pursue thriving futures, to strengthening comprehensive programs that meet the needs of young families, your commitment to New Moms has been a driving force behind our success.

Please click here to view our report. We hope you enjoy it, and thank you for being part of this essential work!

With deepest gratitude,

Laura Zumdahl, Ph.D. New Moms President & CEO

Your support of New Moms has made an immeasurable difference in the lives of young moms and children we serve. Today we are launching the Next Generation Society, which provides an opportunity to further extend your impact and create a lasting legacy through planned giving. By including New Moms in your estate plans, you can ensure that your values and commitment to families continue to resonate for generations to come.

New Moms was tremendously honored to learn that Beth & Chris Lye made a planned gift to the organization. 

Naming New Moms as a beneficiary in your estate is a simple and powerful way to leave a legacy gift that will have a multi-generational impact. When you do this by December 31, 2023, you will be named an inaugural member of our Next Generation Society.  

If you plan to, or have already made a legacy gift to New Moms, please let us know by filling out this form or emailing? jhammond@newmoms.org so that we can personally thank you. 

Even if your gift is anonymous, we would like to include you as an inaugural member of our Next Generation Society and acknowledge the difference you’re making in our community. Together, we can change lives — now and in the future. 

JOIN THE NEXT GENERATION SOCIETY

Tax ID/EIN: 36-3265804

Engagement Specialist Jane Rasweiler reflects on community support for Operation Santa: “Our volunteer sign-up filled so quickly, it was unbelievable! People were really enthusiastic about coming out to support Operation Santa. I felt that when they were working with us opening boxes and packing gifts—performing an actual labor of love—they felt a true connection to their community.” 

Operation Santa experienced another record-breaking year in gift donations. This year, 2,092 gifts were donated from the registry and another 250 were dropped directly to New Moms! That’s 2,342 total gifts you generously donated — and the most we’ve ever received!

We want to sincerely thank everyone who participated in Operation Santa. Volunteers, donors, and supporters like you help champion what is most important this holiday season: love, connection, and the endless possibility of young families in our programs to create a thriving future in the new year. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

Enjoy our scrapbook:

Operation Santa experienced another record-breaking year in gift donations. This year, we received more gifts after the registry closed, so you generously donated a total of 2,395 total gifts.

We want to sincerely thank everyone who participated in Operation Santa. Volunteers, donors, and supporters like you help champion what is most important this holiday season: love, connection, and the endless possibility of young families in our programs to create a bright future in the new year. We wish you a healthy and happy holiday season!

BONUS: This year we asked volunteers to fill out our “Operation Santa Volunteer Guestbook.” Check out some responses from our volunteers on their:

• Favorite Operation Santa Gift for Kids & Moms
• Favorite Holiday Movie
• Volunteer Job for That Shift
• Best Holiday Tradition

Because of you:

• We hired two new onsite mental health therapists (like Grace, featured in the video above!), who will provide mental health supports to young families—a critical resource that will help build their resilience and increase well-being!
• We provided 40,212 nights of shelter to 74 young moms and their 98 children this past year.
• Our lobby at the Transformation Center in Chicago is overflowing with packages for Operation Santa, ensuring every young family in our programs will have a special Christmas with gifts under the tree!

Our mission could not be achieved without you. Thank you for being part of the New Moms community! We wish you a safe and blessed holiday with your loved ones.

We are so grateful for all of you being part of our mission for the last forty years, and for the future to come!

For over four decades, breastfeeding rates among Black women have significantly trailed those of white women—rates among Black women are approximately half those of white women. Consequently, there is often an assumption among medical professionals that Black women don’t breastfeed, leading to a lack of education and support in this crucial aspect of maternal and infant health(1). These disparities are alarming, especially considering the profound implications they have on the health and well-being of Black infants.

The reasons behind these disparities are complex and multifaceted. They span racial and socioeconomic lines and are rooted in both structural and cultural factors. Lack of support from medical professionals, limited access to breastfeeding role models, and the historical trauma of Black women being used as wet nurses during slavery are all contributing factors (1). 

Here at New Moms, our team of doulas work to bridge this gap in breastfeeding through education, support, and access to parenting resources for our young moms. Nyehla, one of our talented doulas, chatted with her participant Jasmine about her breastfeeding journey with her son, Gadget, in celebration of Black Breastfeeding Week.

Jasmine’s journey with breastfeeding started before Gadget was born, when she faced uncertainty about the practice.

“Several of my friends tried breastfeeding but it didn’t work out for them.” Jasmine explained. “My mom tried breastfeeding me and my sister when we were little and it didn’t work out for her either. Knowing that breast milk is best for him, since he gets all the nutrients, the immune boost, and the [good gut] bacteria—I was determined to try.”

When Gadget was born, Jasmine learned to overcome the challenges by listening to her body, especially when it came to varying supply levels. 

 “The hardest part for me was the engorgement because it was like a constant pain. Even while feeding him at night, I would be spraying milk out of the other side, like almost every time. It was a lot to adapt to—how much I needed to attend to myself to make sure I was comfortable. But after a while it got easier and the engorgement went away. I got to a point where I would know what I needed to do,” Jasmine said.

After breastfeeding for several months, Jasmine is able to reflect on her journey with pride.

“I am proud that I’ve been able to keep myself healthy enough to keep up with it and that he’s getting all the nutrients that he needs. He’s growing appropriately and it’s all because of the work my body is doing.” 

As Jasmine continues on her own breastfeeding journey, she offers insight and encouragement.

“The challenges will always fade away if you give it enough time. The hardest part of doing something new is the waiting period to see if it works. You just kind of have to wait it out, like give it 3-4 weeks and if it’s really not working, do what you gotta do because your baby has to eat. But if you wanna try it, don’t be mad at yourself if it’s not working. I went through a point where my milk supply dropped and I had to start supplementing with formula. I struggled with that a little bit—feeling like I was failing because I couldn’t make enough for him. You’ve just gotta remind yourself that there’s so many factors that go into how much milk you’re producing that it’s not necessarily something that you can control or care too much about.”

If you would like to learn more about the history of Black breastfeeding, check out the article referenced above here. If you are interested in working with our doulas or attending prenatal or parenting classes, look for opportunities here! 

1.  “The History of Black Women & Breastfeeding,” Irth, Narrative Nation, February 25, 2021, https://irthapp.com/the-history-of-black-women-breastfeeding/#:~:text=As%20slaves%2C%20Black%20women%20were,against%20their%20domineering%20slave%20masters

When you become a Family Friend you commit to being a stable partner in the life of our families through a monthly gift. For as little as $10 a month, you can provide sustaining support to young moms and their children so they know they are not alone on their journey towards thriving futures. 

Becoming a Family Friend is Easy!

1. Go to our donate page at newmoms.org/donate
2. We suggest you create a donor account so you can easily update your credit card and contact information whenever you need to! If you already have a donor account just click “Sign in”
3. Under “Choose Your Gift”, toggle the donation form to “Monthly”
4. Choose your giving amount from the available amounts, or click “Other” for a custom amount
5. Click “Customize Dates” if you want to be billed on a specific date of the month
6. Click “Give”!

BECOME A FAMILY FRIEND

Family Friends play a vital role for New Moms families.

Every family needs a friend who they can rely on for the big and little things that come up in their lives. Family Friends create slack in our lives–providing support, sharing a cup of sugar, or holding a baby so mom can shower. At New Moms, we create slack so young moms can move out of crisis and work toward their goals–offering housing, job training, parent coaching, and more. Become a Family Friend of New Moms today and help to create slack for young families.

Why Become a Family Friend?

• Have a multigenerational impact on young families at New Moms
• Every $1 donated to New Moms has a $3.51 social return on investment
• Provide stability for New Moms so that we remain a strong resource for young families
• As a Family Friend, you will receive exclusive updates and stories on the impact of your contribution

Every family needs a friend who they can rely on for the big and little things that come up in their lives. Now’s your chance to be a Family Friend to young families at New Moms!

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY OF FAMILY FRIENDS

Want to Increase Your Monthly Gift? It’s simple!

1. Go to our donate page at newmoms.org/donate*
2. Click “Sign in” to log in to your donor account. **Don’t have a donor account? Email Lauren at lcallaghan@newmoms.org and provide the amount you want to increase your gift to–no need to proceed to the next steps
3. If you have a donor account and are logged in, switch to the tab “Recurring Gifts”
4. Find your recurring gift to New Moms and click “Edit”
5. Under “Amount and Restriction,” click “Edit”
6. Choose your new giving amount from the available amounts, or click “Other” for a custom amount
7. Click “Save Recurring Details”!

These instructions only apply to recurring donors who give through New Moms’ online donation platform. If you give through ACH or a 3rd party, you can contact your bank or 3rd party institution to increase your donation amount.
* Exciting update: You now can give a gift through ApplePay, PayPal, or set up a direct deposit from your bank account!