In a message dated 98-06-21 12:36:43 EDT, Jay wrote:

<<
 Who would like to sponser a membership for me?  Who would like to sponser a
 membership for those out in Africa, or way out in the boonies in Canada or
 Austrailia or wherever? How about if we start a charity organization for LCs
 who are poor and can't afford to buy a membership with ILCA?  We can look at
 their income and subsidize the cost of membership to make it less expensive
 or pay for the membership for them outright.  In addition to that,  we can
 look at their incomes and then sponser them to ILCA, LLL or BSC conferences.
 We could sponser groups of LC wannabees for education, memberships to ILCA
 and send them books and educational materials.  Where are we gonna get all
 the money to help all the people who would love to be involved in this stuff
 but can't because of finances?  Who is going to pay MY childcare, hotel,
 food and conference fees so that I can educate myself and be a better LC?
 No one.  Heck, if someone will pay my bills for me, I'd gladly buy a
 membership in ILCA and go to conferences.
  >>

I think Jay was in rant mode, but in fact the underlying point here is a
really good idea.  *IS* there any education fund that could help pay for
*professional* bf education?  Again, there may be plenty of people, including
some recent posters, who essentially don't need, or even can't use, that level
of involvement; but as Jay points out there are some who do, and would, but
can't afford it.

In fact in all the notes about the quilt raffle I kept noticing that all money
was for "bf charities"  -- but with no decision about what those were going to
be, which put me off a bit as I am generally a control freak about my
charitable giving.   Anybody want to organize, say, subsidized subscriptions
to JHL for LCs in poor and underserved areas?  I'd send a check now if I
thought it were going to that (even w/o getting a raffle chance...)

As I am not now and not likely soon to be an IBCLC this is not every going to
line my own pocket (or: magazine rack :-)  ) so it's easy for me to suggest,
but it seems like a pretty worth-while use of funds raised in/by the bf
community.

Elisheva S. Urbas
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NYC