MONTGOMERY, AL – Gift of Life Foundation (GOL) is celebrating 30 years of service to Montgomery families with a birthday party on March 14, 2018 from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Gift of Life office located at 1348 Carmichael Way.

Since 1988, GOL has been working to decrease infant mortality in Montgomery County through programs that empower women to reduce the challenges they face that threaten their health and prevent a healthy birth outcome. It accomplishes this through four programs: Parents as Teachers, Nurse Family Partnership, Mobile Family Coaching and Fathers in Action. GOL’s programs help first-time or already parenting moms and dads develop effective parenting skills, reduce risk factors for child abuse and neglect, address the physical, social and emotion health of mom and baby, and provide vital connection to community resources that help them increase self-sufficiency.

The festivities will include proclamations presented by the City of Montgomery and County Commission, reflections on the Gift of Life’s impact on the lives of families by current and former families, and community agencies and local health providers who have partnered with Gift of Life to further its mission to reduce infant mortality. The event will culminate with a cake cutting. For more information, contact Mona Davis at (334) 273-7800.

MONTGOMERY, AL- Gift of Life Foundation’s Community Action Network (GOL CAN) will host mobile dental clinics at Seth Johnson Elementary on March 8 and Highland Gardens Elementary on March 22. The activity is part of an outreach project to teach children the importance of maintaining good oral health and to educate parents on the dental benefit provided by Medicaid.  

Toothbuds, a Medicaid dental provider, will screen students, a representative from Medicaid will inform parents about routine procedures covered by the Medicaid Dental Program, and local dentists will speak to classes about oral health.

“Gift of Life’s mission is to reduce Montgomery County’s high infant mortality rate, but we recognize that doing so requires an integrated approach to health which begins before a woman ever becomes pregnant,” said GOL Executive Director Cheryl Davis.

“We educate our moms on the importance of maintaining good oral health before and during pregnancy, but we also wanted to extend that message out to the community through our Community Action Network that babies and young children need regular preventive dental services to stay healthy, too. There are families that may not be aware that Medicaid covers dental check-ups or cleanings for children, so the benefit is underused.  This is a concern our CAN wanted to address. We wanted to partner to reach families who aren’t using these services,” she said.

According to Alabama Medicaid, the agency pays for routine dental care for children under age 21 as long as the child is eligible for full Medicaid. Most children are no longer eligible after their 19th birthday unless they are eligible for another category. Dental services must be provided by a licensed dentist enrolled as a Medicaid dental provider. Coverage includes a dental checkup, cleaning, crown, extractions, fluoride treatments, fillings and other services.

The first mobile dental clinic will be held at Seth Johnson Elementary on March 8, from 8:30-9:45 a.m. A second one will be held at Highland Gardens on March 22. About 80 students will be served at each school. Local dentist Dr. David M. Cawley, D.D.S of Dental Concepts, will provide education.

MONTGOMERY, AL- Gift of Life Foundation is hosting its 2nd Annual Maternal/Child Health Mini-Conference for Healthcare Professionals on Friday, April 27, 2018 from 7:30 a.m.- Noon at the Auburn University Montgomery School of Nursing.

Conference topics will include:

• Alabama Sexually Transmitted Infections: Updates and Trends
• Prenatal Stress: Impacts and Prevention
• Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Care from Hospital to Home

*CEUS will be available for nurses and licensed social work professionals. Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. • Presentations: 8 a.m.- Noon

The mini-conference is free, but seating is limited. You MUST register on Eventbrite HERE by April 16 to attend. For more information, contact Michelle Anthony, MSN,RN at (334) 273-3093 or email: manthony@golfound.org

Conference Sponsors: Baptist Health and Auburn University Montgomery School of Nursing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT: Mona Davis, Marketing and Community Outreach
(334) 273-7800

MONTGOMERY, AL - The Alabama Department of Public Health’s River Region Community Action Team will hold its annual Candlelight Memorial in observance of International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Women and families around the globe will mark the event with candle light tributes, and here in the River Region those who have lost an infant either during pregnancy or that was stillborn or a few months old are welcome to participate in the memorial which will be held on Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

Families will have an opportunity to light memorial candles and help create an International Wave of Light representing hope and healing. Local families are also invited to bring a picture of their infant, a sonogram or a pregnancy photo that will be placed on a large memorial board. The candle lighting will begin at 7 p.m.

The contact persons for this event are Shirley Daniel, Region V Perinatal Coordinator, Alabama
Department of Public Health and Gift of Life Foundation Family Programs Education Coordinator and Team Leader Ashley Cochran. If you are interested in interviewing them in advance of the event or the day of the event, please let me know. Thanks for your consideration.

September is National Infant Mortality Month and Gift of Life Foundation in partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health held a joint news conference on September  12, 2017 to announce September as Infant Mortality Awareness Month.  

Last year in the state of Alabama nearly 500 babies never had the opportunity to celebrate their first birthday. The majority of those babies were African American, many were born in poverty, and others were born in an environment where they may not have received prenatal care early enough, or where their parents did not have the education or support that they needed to be healthy and survive.

Dr. Janice Smiley, director of the Perinatal Health Division, Alabama Department of Public Health, and Gift of Life Executive Director Cheryl Davis discussed why there is an increase in the number of infant deaths in Montgomery and other regions across the state and what the community can do to help reduce infant mortality. The event was held at the RSA Park, where Gift of Life and ADPH staff planted pinwheels representing the 494 babies in Alabama who never reached their first birthday.   

MEDIA ALERT
Contact: Mona Davis, Marketing and Community Outreach
(334) 546-7181/ (334) 273-7800/mdavis@golfound.org
For Immediate Release: September 11, 2017

MONTGOMERY, AL— Last year in the state of Alabama nearly 500 babies never had the opportunity to celebrate their first birthday. The majority of those babies were African American, many were born in poverty, and others were born in an environment where they may not have received prenatal care early enough, or where their parents did not have the education or support that they needed to be healthy and survive.

September is National Infant Mortality Month and Gift of Life Foundation in partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health will hold a news conference to discuss Montgomery County and the state’s high infant mortality rates on Tuesday, September 12 at 1 p.m. at the RSA Park located at 201 Monroe Street in front of the RSA Tower, downtown Montgomery.

Acting State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris and Gift of Life Executive Director Dr. Cheryl Davis will discuss what is believed to be contributing to the increase in the number of infant deaths in Montgomery and other regions across the state and what the community can do to help reduce infant mortality.

Gift of Life Foundation is collecting disposable diapers of all sizes and baby wipes to help Hurricane Harvey moms and babies through September 8. Many disaster relief organizations do not provide these items for distribution and Gift of Life would like to help those families get the items their babies need while they are displaced from their homes. All items GOL collects will be distributed to the Texas Diaper Bank. Those who wish to donate can drop off unwrapped disposable baby diapers and packages of wipes to the GOL office located at 1348 Carmichael Way, 36106, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Our offices are open Monday through Friday. You can also make monetary donations online to the Texas Diaper bank at http://www.texasdiaperbank.org. For more information about the diaper drive, call the Gift of Life office at (334) 272-1820.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT: Mona Davis, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator
(334) 273-7800
mdavis@golfound.org

MONTGOMERY, AL — Gift of Life Foundation (GOL) has been awarded a major grant from the Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama to help reduce child abuse and neglect in Montgomery County.

Gift of Life was awarded a $95,000 grant for its Nurse Family Partnership Program (NFP) — a free, voluntary program that pairs expectant, first-time moms with a registered nurse.  GOL nurse home visitors help program participants assess their attitudes, knowledge, skills and current level of support, then develop interventions that empower participants to set goals, make behavioral changes, address challenges and increase self-sufficiency. This helps reduce the stress factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect.  

“We are pleased to have received the grant from the Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama and to have an opportunity to partner with their efforts to protect Alabama’s children,” said Gift of Life Executive Director Cheryl Davis.  “Research tells us that too many babies in Montgomery County are born too early, into poverty, or are impacted by violence. These are contributing factors to the high rate of infant mortality, child abuse and neglect that we are seeing in our community.”  

In 2015, 7.3 per 1,000 Montgomery County children had indication for child abuse and neglect, according to data published in the 2016 Alabama Kids Count book. Davis said those numbers emphasize the critical need for funding for home visiting programs like those offered by Gift of Life, which support children and families in the environments where they live.

“The grant will fund two NFP nurse home visitors who will work with a client in her home for two and a half years,” said Davis.  “They will provide the education, support and interventions needed to become an effective parent and create a nurturing environment for their child that is healthy and free of abuse.”

About Gift of Life Foundation - Since 1988, Gift of Life has worked to lower Montgomery County’s infant mortality rate through coordinated, evidence-based programs that give women and children at greater risk for infant mortality support, parenting education and encouragement at no cost through its Nurse-Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, and Mobile Family Coaching, and Fathers in Action programs. For more information, visit www.golfound.org.

Kudos to Gift of Life Foundation's 2017 program graduates. The group of women were recognized during a ceremony at First Baptist Church on May 11. Restauranteur, motivational speaker and author Martha Hawkins, owner of Martha's Place, was the guest speaker. She encouraged the graduates to never give up on their dreams and to remember the mentoring they'd received through the Gift of Life. Each graduate received a certificate of completion by their Gift of Life nurse or social worker.

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Mona Davis - Monday, April 03, 2017

OH BABY! Gift of Life was excited to participate in Babypalooza, a premiere baby and maternity expo where expectant moms and families came to connect to community maternity resources on April 1 from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex. We had the opportunity to connect with more than 75 women and educate them to safe sleep infant practices. These expectant moms watched a one-minute  education video, answered the quiz and took turns placing Gift of Life's Baby Marcus to sleep properly in his pack-n-play. Big thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to learn more about safe sleep and how practicing it with your baby or a baby you know could save their life. Participants received a free sleep sack while supplies lasted and five lucky families won a brand new Graco Pack-N-Play!