Today kicks off our nine-day countdown to #GivingTuesday, the annual global celebration of generosity which happens this year on December 1, 2020. During each of the nine days leading up to #GivingTuesday (symbolic of the nine months of pregnancy), we plan to share our platform by highlighting a FAM grantee daily. This year we had exactly nine grantees, so we figured it must be meant to be!
Without further ado, please meet Birth from The Earth, Inc., a non-profit with the vision “to empower and create strong families, communities, and societies, that know their bodies, know their choices and know their voice.” Even through the midst of a global pandemic, Birth from The Earth, Inc. in collaboration with it’s community partners, continue to move forward with their plans to create accessible perinatal, health and wellness services in New York (Yonkers and the Bronx). Birth from the Earth is a FAM Community Movement Builder.
Nubia Earth Martin, President of Birth from The Earth shares, “In March we initiated the Access to Home Birth Scholarship Fund, which helps to offset the costs of out of pocket expenses for Home Birth when insurance won’t cover the full fees. At the end of April, after the devastating maternal death of Amber Rose Isaac, we partnered with her surviving partner, Bruce McIntyre and renamed the scholarship in Amber’s honor and remembrance.
Our goal was to help one family per month with the scholarship, however the COVID-19 pandemic created a greater need for birthing families. With the help of additional grants, including the funds from FAM, we have been able to help 16 families to date, and be an integral part of successful home births.While Birth from The Earth continues to support the idea of, and work on legislation for bringing a People of Color (POC) Midwifery Led Birthing Center to the Bronx, we are also working endlessly to foster the ongoing need for education and healing in our communities…”Nubia says further, “Earth Groundz is our next endeavor, which will serve as a resource hub for birthing families. Located in Yonkers, and serving Westchester County residents, as well as those in the Bronx and Harlem. Earth Groundz will offer: preconception care; prenatal services; nutrition assistance; prenatal yoga; childbirth education; workshops; African dance, Chocolate Milk Cafe, birth worker training, and ongoing education series.”
Please join FAM in congratulating 
Birth from The Earth on an outstanding year. Visit www.birthfromtheearth.vpweb.com to find out more information about this organization.
Stay tuned in the coming days as we feature more grantees. Although #GivingTuesday is December 1st, would you be open minded to making your donation today? We’ve set a big, juicy goal for ourselves of raising $20,000 during this campaign to be able to deliver more grants to organizations like Birth from The Earth to improve maternal and child health in North America. Your donation today will help us gain momentum toward meeting this goal. Consider donating here: https://bit.ly/3kATixF. #Give4Midwifery #formidwifery
