Melisa, and all,
This is such a dilemma. As one who has been searching for donations and funding for a parenting center, Mamash, which I created 17 years ago I think I can sympathize with each and everyone looking to publicize their services, their organizations or looking to get recognition etc.... Mamash isn't even expressly (sorry for the pun) for bf moms, but for the general public of new moms. We have support groups and activities (250 moms each week!) and yet I still somehow cannot bring myself to accept money or any assistance from infant formula companies.  It is really tiring and depressing to fight to remain operable all these years, having most of the responsibily on my shoulders and always debating (with myself mainly) whether I shouldn't just give up and go home. Because we are not supported by government, municipal or public funds, we charge private prices. Of course that excludes many families from participating so again, we are back to having only those who can afford it, reaching such support systems. So, I still don't quit (it is habit forming after the first 15 years!), and now we have Israel's first independent non-hospital or medical clinic related, non-profit bf center where people can just drop in and get help. Ultimately Mamash will be paying a group of IBCLC's to work each and everyday. In the meantime I am working voluntarily so that money comes in (people pay what they want )but we don't have expenses. We have 2 great rooms and so much potential. So, who do we use to help publicize????? How do we get the word out? Basically we have to rely on our friends who work at the magazines, who do us favours by sending out thousands of our fliers without even charging us.! Without this help I may as well pack it up. 

The other project is convincing the magazines (maybe someday newspapers) to put in full page ads just advertising "BREASTMILK - THE NATURAL RESOURCE". I have succeeded with one of the family magazines and they are working on graphics now. They promised me that as soon as they have space which they hope will be in May, then they will put it in. After initiating this contact, our Ministry of Health will consider signing their name onto the ad! I just get so frustrated at the massive psychological war the ABM companies are waging. We will never have that kind of money and for some stupid reason, which I guess is worldwide, the governments and ministries of Health don't find it important enough. I mean why should morbidity and mortality of infants be of  concern to them? Why is this issue more important to a (getting larger) group of individuals some of whom  aren't even getting salaries that are related to the field! I get the feeling that I better read that book, (I forget just now what it is called, Money, Milk and Madness???) I will probably find some answers there. I believe that we have to try to have a presence in these magazines to balance and maybe even off set the enormous amount of propaganda the companies are pumping into the public. If we refuse to appear there, then I don't think we will ever get into the public eye or more important the public psyche. I am still dreaming of finding an enormous corporation looking for a good "cause" - non-food related and funding a giant publicity project in the name of what I call, "The Non-Profit Organizations Promoting and Encouraging Breastfeeding:" 

Sorry this is so long, but I will just add the story of my 63 page booklet that I was asked to write by a publisher who was putting out a series of little booklets on all sorts of medically related topics. This was 6 years ago. For two years nobody bought it, nobody looked at it, and I think I sold maybe 240 copies. Then in the 3rd year which was 3 years ago)  the publisher sent me a letter all excited because he found a buyer to purchase the booklet in bulk. Guess who???? One of the local ABM manufacturers.  There was no legal way of stopping it. I was notified retroactively, and tens of thousands of books were purchased, a big ad slapped on the back cover (and a cute little teddy bear holding a bottle, of course!)  After many years of trying to get into the government run hospitals, clinics, well baby clinics to hand out updated info and failing, all that company had to do was ask. This booklet was HOT! As there was a list of all of our local phone numbers for LLL, LC's, Mamash, let me tell you, we are still getting calls and the book is totally outdated. I think that every new mom received a free copy of this booklet. At every meeting or consult moms tell me, "Oh, you are ellen, who wrote the *BRANDNAME* booklet!" This is depressing. But in the end it sure did spread the word! I have obviously broken off my connection with the publisher, and I have actually received a private donation to reprint independently. Now the dilemma. Will all those hospitals, clinics, offices etc........be willing to accept this booklet without the endorsement from that company??? I will let you all imagine what the result will be. But, believe me, money is not easily got, so, I won't even bother printing if I can't distribute the books.

So these are definitely dilemmas. Sometimes I think we are spiting ourselves because I believe we could work together. The hotline of that company refers many new moms with bf questions to LLL and Mamash. So I initiated a call to them to check out who they are and what information they are handing out. We have a nice relationship, totally non-reciprocal and they are open to info regarding updated contacts for bf moms. This is a start. and I feel important yet not compromising. I am sure we all feel more or less the same regarding all those $$$$$$. and the many uses we could put them to. But, we keep plugging ahead with the  light at the end of the tunnel (optimism) in sight. 
Lets hope we all succeed this year in realizing our dreams!
(I know I should have edited this and cut it, but after writing it, it is too late to go back. Sorry)
Ellen, Tel Aviv (it is night so I can't see the sun!)



 

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