The Center for Community Health & Well-Being, Inc.
home of
Birthing Project USA:
"The Underground Railroad for New Life"
An International Organization & Resource Center for improving birth outcomes for women of color.
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In
the News The Birthing Project, The Birthing Project now has three e-mail based groups that will allow members, staff, participants and supporters to connect from any location! JOIN IN!
The Underground Railroad for New Life on the Move... Stop # 75 Nashville, TN Stop #76 Milwaukee, WI Stop #77 Limon, Honduras Stop # 78 Jackson, MI Stop #79 Sumner, MI Stop #80 Anguillla, MI Stop #81 Sunflower, MI Stop #82 Cleveland, OH Stop #83 Get Involved |
Overview & Description Birthing Project USA is the only national African American maternal and child health program in this country. We are a volunteer effort to encourage better birth outcomes by providing practical support to women during pregnancy and for one year after the birth of their children. The first Birthing Project began in Sacramento, California in 1988 as a community service project comprised of volunteers Sister friends who provided one-on-one support to pregnant teens and women to lower Infant Mortality. In June 1992, The Birthing Project was featured in Essence Magazine. The response from women all over the country to become involved in their own communities was overwhelming. The Birthing Project concept has grown into a nationally recognized model which has been replicated in over 70 communities in the United States, Canada and Honduras. This sisterhood of Birthing Projects is provided with technical and practical support through our national resources center and is known throughout the country as Birthing Project USA: The Underground Railroad for New Life. At any given time, there
are approximately thirty Birthing Projects in action - operating from
homes, churches, services groups, places of employment, clinics, health
departments and hospitals - any place where a group of ten women can
commit to being conductors on The Underground Railroad for 18 months. The Birthing Project USA mission is to assist local communities in improving their health status by addressing the systemic causes of their lack of well-being. The systemic causes usually include, lack of education, lack of social justice and economic disparities compounded by institutional political and personal barriers. Birthing Projects actively engage community residents in 1) Identifying their needs. 2) Planning, implementing and evaluating services. 3) Working collaboratively with other agencies, organizations and individuals. During the last 18 years, Birthing Project models have been developed to improve birth outcomes by intervening at critical periods in a woman's life. For example, one of the most important determinates of a baby's health at birth is the physical, education and economic health of the baby's mother when she began pregnant. Our innovative programs allow us to identify our babies before they are born, keep a watchful eye on them during their childhood, invite them to participated with their mothers in our risk reduction program when them are in 6th and 7th grades and participate in our Academy of Dreams during their high schools years. We also provides guides and support to their fathers. Birthing Project USA provides the following services...
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