Grand opening Aug.27.
The Holyoke Health Center will hold a grand opening for its Holyoke Breastfeeding Resource Center on Aug. 27, from noon to 2 p.m..
Located on the second floor of the Holyoke Health Center’s 230 Maple St. building, the breastfeeding center welcomes potential members to visit and become familiar with the program.
The resource center is a collaborative effort among the health center, Holyoke WIC program, and the Birthing Center at Holyoke Medical Center.
The resource center offers twice weekly drop-in breastfeeding support groups, led by a bilingual breastfeeding counselor, individual lactation consultations, and peer counseling.
Staff members at the Holyoke Breastfeeding Resource Center at the Holyoke Health Center. From left are peditrician Dr. Despina Lekakis, Yamira Fernandez-Engle, a breast feeding peer councilor with Noah, age 11 months, and Jacqueline Jones (IBCLC), Lactation Consultant. Breastfeeding individuals are able to obtain breast pumps, and get support with returning to work, school, and with bottle feeding their children.
All services are free and open to the public. The resource center is open on Tuesdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and on Fridays from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
The resource center is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Program supplemental breastfeeding grant.
The goal of this grant is to improve the continuity of breastfeeding care in Massachusetts by enhancing community-based, post-discharge resources for women and their families. For more information on breastfeeding resources and services in Massachusetts, please visit www.mass.gov/dph/breastfeeding.
Founded in 1970 Holyoke Health Center has been the only free-standing comprehensive health center in the greater Holyoke area with an onsite 340B pharmacy and integrated oral health and behavioral health services. The center serves more than 24,000 patients annually with primary medical, dental, and specialized programs for people living with asthma, diabetes, HIV and other chronic conditions.
To learn more, visit www.hhcinc.org and visit our Facebook and Twitter pages (#breastfeeding).