Project Purpose:  High Country Lactation Center (HCLC) works to eliminate health disparities by promoting access to quality healthcare, providing education and support, and advocating for policies that protect and enhance the health of mothers and children. The purpose of our project was to improve awareness of the resources and information that HCLC provides to lactating women. 

Background: Common lactation issues are insufficient milk supply, latching difficulties, mastitis, and nipple pain. In the U.S., about 50 percent of mothers have reported insufficient milk supply as their reason for stopping breastfeeding. It has been reported that only 24% of infants in Arizona are breastfed exclusively through 6 months, despite the breastfeeding initiation rate being 85%.  Lactating individuals in Coconino County are at a vague awareness level when it comes to understanding the recommendation of breastfeeding exclusively for the recommended 1 to 2 years. 

Methods: The aims of this project were to (1) host a fundraiser for HCLC to provide breastfeeding resources to underserved lactating individuals, (2) improve awareness of the resources available from HCLC, and (3) provide attendees with health education and activities for relaxation. The fundraiser event consisted of four stations to promote relaxation: massage, health education, crafting, and yoga. We used social media and fliers to promote our event. Post-surveys were used to assess program satisfaction, and a raffle drawing was used to incentivize participation. 

Conclusions: We met our goal by increasing the awareness of HCLC, and we were successful in getting a total donation of $320. Overall, our post-test results indicated positive feedback, with 86% of responses being favorable and 14% marked as non-applicable. By the end of the fundraising session, we successfully met our objective of 9 mothers attending the event.