United Way of Central Massachusetts, Worcester nonprofits step up during formula crisis
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It was evident during the pandemic. It gets expressed every day in countless ways. When challenges arise, Worcester responds.
Our collective actions in the face of the infant formula crisis — still ongoing — is a shining example of our determination to care for all our Worcester neighbors, especially the most vulnerable among us.
Families rely on infant formula for various reasons: difficulty breastfeeding, infant food allergies and other health-related issues, and the lack of breastfeeding support in workplaces and communities. Statewide, nearly 14,000 infants are fully fed and an additional 6,000 are partially fed on formula per year.
The demand is real.
When the supply is limited, families in underserved, BIPOC communities have difficulty feeding their infants and children with special food needs. (This aligns with overall food access. A survey conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health showed one in five Worcester respondents struggling with food insecurity, with higher rates reported by Latinx, African American/Black, and Asian individuals and families. Root causes include systematic bias in the health care system, lack of transportation to access points, and high prices — now even higher due to inflation.)
In May and June, at the height of local infant formula shortages, it was these families that suffered the most.
Yet, as uncertainty swirled nationwide, our partners and collaborators answered the call locally. Nonprofit organizations, local businesses, lawmakers, parents and caregivers contributed unique perspectives, connections, logistical support, and much-needed financial assistance. Teamwork prevailed.
The United Way of Central Massachusetts quickly launched the Baby Formula Equity and Access Fund. The fund received critical backing from individual donors and community funders, including the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation, Hanover Insurance and the Hanover Foundation, the United Way of Central Massachusetts, the City of Worcester, Point 32 Health and the Point 32 Health Foundation, and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.
Meanwhile, the Worcester Community Connections Coalition, an affiliate of the Seven Hills Foundation, tapped Edward Street and the Together for Kids Coalition for assistance in convening stakeholders to assess needs and strategize solutions. The group met weekly through mid-August, benefitting from the expertise and guidance of state and national legislators.
State Sens. Michael Moore, Anne Gobi and Harriette Chandler; state Reps. Mary Keefe, David LeBeouf and Jim O’Day; U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey; and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern all contributed. Parents and caregivers also participated by sharing their lived experiences.
Thanks to our collective efforts, 175 cases of infant formula were acquired, totaling 1,050 cans. The United Way of Central Massachusetts managed distribution to food pantries and community organizations — including Pernet Family Health, El Buen Samaritano, Friendly House, Centro, Catholic Charities, Project New Hope, Yes We Care, and Zion Belmont Church — while the Family Resource Center helped families locate the most convenient supply.
Today, our work continues. Data collection by the Family Resource Center has raised awareness of formula access gaps and strengthened ties with families in need. Parents and caregivers with children who suffer from severe food allergies are guided to the safest available option by the Family Resource Center, in consultation with UMass Memorial Health Center pediatric providers and nutritionists.
We hope the worst is behind us. Yet, without economic and policy changes, infant formula shortages are likely to return again and again. Local communities across the country would benefit from smaller, regional production and distribution sites. (There are only four production facilities in the United States; significant recent shortages occurred when one of those facilities shut down.)
Breastfeeding support, education and awareness can also play a vital role. WDPH’s REACH program, in partnership with the Worcester Healthy Baby Collaborative, are on a mission to build a diverse lactation-support workforce, raise the number of safe and comfortable breastfeeding spaces in the community, and encourage lactation-friendly workplace environments.
Moments like these remind us of the immense compassion, talent and expertise of our friends and neighbors. They showed, yet again, that by working together we can take care of our own — so they can better take care of their own.
Anne Bureau is program director of the Worcester Community Action Council; Dodi Swope is coordinator of the Together for Kids Coalition. and Eve Gilmore is executive director of Edward Street.
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