Nurse-Midwives Help Hurricane Katrina Evacuees; Displaced Women, Babies Receive Donations

SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 22 -- Thousands of blankets and baby clothes, donated to the Texas Health Care Nurse-Midwives of Fort Worth, Texas, will be distributed to women and babies displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The blankets come courtesy of the American College of Nurse-Midwives’ (ACNM) Blankets for Babies(SM) Campaign.

ACNM established three distribution centers (two in Texas, another in Meridian, Mississippi) to collect and distribute donated baby blankets and clothes. The Blankets for Babies(SM) campaign was launched over five years ago as one way for ACNM’s members to give back to the community that hosts the ACNM annual meeting. Earlier this year, over 400 blankets were distributed in the Washington, DC, area. “Doing something extra to help mothers in need comes naturally for our members,” said Deanne Williams, CNM, executive director. “We know that even under the best of conditions, mothers need mothering. What better way to help at this difficult time than to be sure they have the warmth of a blanket and time to comfort their newborn.”

The outpouring of support from across the country has filled the offices of the Texas Health Care Nurse-Midwives. The Texas Health Care Nurse-Midwives have been caring for women and babies who have taken shelter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and these women will receive some of the donations. Donations of clothes for premature babies are expected to go to area hospitals that are caring for infants transported there from New Orleans. In addition, the midwives have partnered with the March of Dimes and Salvation Army to distribute to evacuees in shelters throughout the area.

The assistance provided by March of Dimes is part of a nation- wide effort to help those affected by the hurricane’s devastation. In addition to supporting ACNM, March of Dimes is providing safe water, food, hygiene and clothing for thousands of pregnant women, new mothers and babies in desperate need in the affected area as well as providing supplies to assist hospitals, shelters and towns throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. Moreover, March of Dimes has committed to raising $5 million to meet the immediate and sustained needs of mothers and babies impacted by the hurricane.

“It is absolutely wonderful to see the outpouring of generosity with the number of blankets we have received to date,” said Nancy Jo Reedy, CNM, Director of Nurse-Midwifery Services for Texas Health Care, PLLC. “Boxes have arrived from over 20 states and Canada. We are so touched by the generosity of donors from throughout the country!”

Blankets are also being collected at distribution sites in Galveston, Texas and Meridian, Mississippi.

For more information about ACNM’s Blankets for Babies(SM) campaign, visit http://www.midwife.org .

To arrange an interview with the Texas Health Care Nurse- Midwives, call Nancy Jo Reedy at 817-870-3686.

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With roots dating to 1929, the American College of Nurse- Midwives is the oldest women’s health care association in the U.S. ACNM’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of women and newborns within their families and communities through the development and support of the profession of midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Midwives believe every individual has the right to safe, satisfying health care with respect for human dignity and cultural variations. More information about ACNM can be found at http://www.midwife.org .

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at http://www.marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at http://www.nacersano.org

Contact Information

Tim Clarke Jr.

Media Contact

American College of Nurse-Midwives

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