MEDIA ADVISORY                    

MEDIA CONTACT: Mona Davis, Director of Marketing and Community Outreach

Office: (334) 273-7800 / Mobile: (334) 399-0158 / Email: mdavis@golfound.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 10, 2019

Gift of Life NFP Featured in Yahoo News Documentary on Poverty’s Effect on Fetal Development

The Gift of Life Foundation’s (GOL) Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) Program is featured in the new Yahoo News documentary “Baby Brain”, which will debut online today on Yahoo! News and later this month on  Roku and Apple TV. 

The documentary highlights research by the Harvard University Center for the Developing Child which shows the effects of poverty and toxic stress  on pregnant women and fetal brain development. 

In “The Impact of Early Adversity on Children’s Development”, the center’s research on the biology of stress shows how major adversity, such as extreme poverty, abuse, or neglect can weaken developing brain architecture and permanently set the body’s stress response system on high alert. Science also shows that providing stable, responsive, nurturing relationships in the earliest years of life can prevent or even reverse the damaging effects of early life stress, with lifelong benefits for learning, behavior, and health.

GOL Executive Director Dr. Regina Traylor said Yahoo News selected GOL’s NFP based on its strong record of positive outcomes from program participants. NFP partners first-time moms with a registered nurse who provides support and education in the home to help moms form protective relationships with their baby. 

 “Neuroscience science is taking us far beyond old notions of what prenatal care should look like,” said GOL Executive Director Dr. Regina Traylor. “We know through our work that improving health outcomes has to include an approach that seeks to help moms and children living in poverty address toxic stress.” 

Yahoo’s film crew accompanied GOL Nurse Home Visitor Lori Rogers on home visits with two Montgomery moms — Latreta and Brianna — who spoke candidly to producers about the challenges they faced and how NFP provided the physical and emotional support they needed to set goals, access community resources and form a strong, protective relationship with their baby, which the findings suggests can reduce abnormal levels of stress hormones, improve early learning and help reduce generational poverty.  Former GOL Nursing Programs   Director Amy Trammell also participated in the production with Nurse Home Visitor Kristi Gay, who will be featured with one of her mom’s in future production.

“Being a part of this project was a great experience because it shows just how needed Gift of Life’s work is,” said Rogers. “The film shows how toxic stress is a problem that is affecting moms and babies throughout the nation. I hope it sparks meaningful conversations on how we can improve prenatal care for moms living in poverty and the need to support home visiting programs like NFP.”

To view the documentary, click here.

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ABOUT GIFT OF LIFE FOUNDATION: Since 1988, Gift of Life Foundation (GOL) has worked to decrease infant mortality in through programs that empower women to reduce the challenges they face that threaten their health and prevent a healthy birth outcome. Reducing those challenges helps children survive infancy, lower complications related to low birth weight and decrease child abuse and neglect. Our parent educators, mobile family coaches and registered nurses work with first-time and parenting moms and dads to develop effective parenting skills and connect them to community resources that help them increase self-sufficiency.

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world on December 3, 2019 and every day. It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good.

You can help further the work of The Gift of Life Foundation by donating on Tuesday You can donate online through our website (click the donate button at the top of the homepage); mail in your tax-deductible donation made payable to The Gift of Life to 1348 Carmichael Way, Montgomery, AL 36106; or you can donate much-needed diapers and baby wipes to our diaper closet at the above address.

For more information on our work and how you can help, call (334) 272-1820 or email us at info@golfound.org.

Did you know that across the U.S. and our community, one in three families with babies is experiencing diaper need? Babies without clean diapers are exposed to more potential health risks, and federal assistance doesn’t help families who cannot afford diapers and wipes, which can cost more than $80 a month.

 The Gift of Life Foundation has launched Operation: Christmas Bottoms Diaper and Baby Wipes Drive this holiday season to help meet the needs of some of the families that we serve in Montgomery, Macon, Autauga, Pike, Russell and Crenshaw counties.

 Your church, Sunday School classes, youth department, ministries, or auxiliaries can help by donating new packs of diapers in all sizes (especially sizes newborn and 1) and baby wipes.

 Just deliver your diapers and baby wipes to the Gift of Life office located at 1348 Carmichael Way, between 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday through December 31, or we would gladly pick up large donations.

 We’ll list your name and post your photo to our Operation Christmas Bottoms web page and social media platforms as a thank you for your diapers and wipes, and to show the community that you care about our babies!

 For more information about Operation Christmas Bottoms, call Mona Davis, Marketing and Community Outreach Director, at (334) 273-7800 or visit www.golfound.org.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR DONORS

SPECIAL THANKS TO GEICO Insurance and Joe Hudson Collision who presented the Gift of Life Foundation with the keys to a beautifully restored 2017 Kia Soul earlier today. The donation was part of Recycled Rides, a national program by the National Auto Body Council which partners with insurers like GEICO, Charity Cars.com, local collision repair shops, car part vendors and mechanics to provide refurbished cars to veterans and disadvantaged families and community organizations that serve them.

Special thanks to Travion Spell, GEICO Auto Damage Manager; David Garner, Joe Hudson Collision; J.R. Carter, GEICO Lead Salvage Analyst; Mr. B's Car Detailing and local mechanic Brian Turner who volunteered his talents to make sure the car was ready to roll!

The car will be used to transport pregnant and parenting moms enrolled in Gift of Life’s programs to medical appointments and monthly group parenting classes, as well support our Fathers in Action and community outreach activities. Gift of Life currently serves nearly 400 expectant or parenting moms, dads and babies across six counties: Montgomery, Autauga, Crenshaw, Pike, Macon and Russell.

Gift of Life Nurse Home Visitor Kathy Pounds and mom Kayla Ramsey are currently featured in an article on the national Nurse-Family Partnership website about their experiences with NFP and for and their successful use of the new Goal Mama app. Kathy has represented GOL and the state of Alabama on several national NFP initiatives like Goal Mama, which is an app that helps moms set and track goals, sends appointment reminders, and provides links to parenting resources. Kathy was also featured in a training video on the app that was recently rolled out nationwide. Check out the story!
https://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/stories/kayla-2/

Gift of Life has been featured in the September 2019 "Big Give" issue of the Chamber of Commerce's Montgomery Business Journal. The feature, found on pages 13 and 17, spotlight our executive director, Dr. Regina Traylor, our recent accomplishments, and ways the community can donate to support our important work. For more information about GOL like our FB page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @GOLFound. View the magazine online here:https://issuu.com/montgomerycvb/docs/mbj_sept_2019…

Gift of Life Foundation was recently awarded an $80,000 grant from the Children's Trust Fund of Alabama to support its Nurse-Family Partnership Program.

GOL received the award based on its strong, demonstrated record of delivering child abuse and neglect prevention education through its home visiting programs.

We'd like to thank CTF for supporting the important work that we do and their support of home visiting programs like NFP which equip parents with the parenting skills they need to reduce child abuse and neglect.

Are you pregnant or a parenting teen? Gift of Life’s Parenting Forward Program Can Help You! Find out how at our Summer Orientation Session on Saturday, July 13, 2019 @ 10 a.m. Juliet Hampton Morgan Library 245 High Street- Downtown Montgomery. Parenting Forward gives teen moms and dads the education, support and connection to community resources that they need to become a great parent and plan for a successful future at no cost. Door prizes and giveaways will be given away, plus community resources! To register to attend the session, go to https://golfound.org/events or call Tina Berry at (334) 272-1820. Children are welcome. The session is free.

MONTGOMERY, AL - Gift of Life Nurse Family Partnership mom and GOL CAN ambassador AnDrika Harmon has been selected to represent the state of Alabama at ZERO TO THREE’S Strolling Thunder on the nation’s capital on April 30, 2019.

AnDrika and her baby Zion will join families representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia to meet members of Congress in Washington D.C. and share with them what babies and families need to thrive, including affordable child care, paid maternity leave, nutrition, and programs that support social/emotional development of babies. They will also participate in a rally on the East Lawn of the Capitol and will have lunch at the White House.

AnDrika was selected based on a short video that she entered on ZERO TO THREE'S Strolling Thunder's Website. ZERO TO THREE will pay the cost of her flight and hotel accommodations.

This is one of many accomplishments AnDrika has made in GOL’s NFP program. Last year, she was featured on NPR’s Story Corps where she discussed the need to preserve funding for the SNAP Program for working families. She also had an opportunity to meet with Congresswoman Martha Roby at the Gift of Life office to discuss the need for affordable childcare and money and resources for early learning programs.

She participates in NFP with Nurse Home Visitor Kristi Gay. 

Here is a link to Strolling Thunder. https://www.thinkbabies.org/strollingthunder/

MEDIA ADVISORY                    

MEDIA CONTACT: Mona Davis, Assistant Director of Marketing and Community Outreach Office: (334) 273-7800 / Mobile: (334) 546-7181 / Email: mdavis@golfound.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 2019

MONTGOMERY, AL -The Gift of Life Foundation (GOL) has received a share of $100 million in grant funding recently awarded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support organizations that work to improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce infant mortality in communities nationwide.

The Gift of Life will receive $4,760,420 million in grant funding through HRSA’s Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health over the next five years. The funding will support Gift of Life’s home visiting and family coaching programs and a wide range of services GOL offers for women, children, and families, including linkage to social services; developmental screening, breastfeeding support; interconception education; father involvement activities and community outreach.

Gift of Life and the other organizations who received funding were selected based on having a strong record of producing positive outcomes in communities with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times the U.S. national average. Grantees received up to $1.1 million each year over five years.

“We are thrilled to be awarded the grant for a second time,” said GOL Executive Director Dr. Regina Traylor. “It’s a huge validation of the work Gift of Life has been doing in communities, but it also indicates the work that still needs to be accomplished to improve our infant mortality rate and provide the needed supports that strengthen children and families and improve the health of our community,” she said.

 “I’m so proud of our dedicated staff and the commitment of our board and community partners who are integral to the work that we do,” said Traylor.

Administered by HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Healthy Start aims to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy; and, to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in rates of infant death as well as negative health outcomes in the first 18 months of life.

For a list of Healthy Start award recipients, visit: https://mchb.hrsa.gov/maternal-child-health-initiatives/healthy-start/awards.