In the Spotlight

Isabella was born premature and weighed one pound, 2/3 ounces on Jan. 9, 2008.

ABC World News: How Breast Milk Donation Saves Babies' Lives One Premature Baby Overcame Tremendous Odds Because of a Simple Idea Born premature on Jan. 9, she came three months before her due date. Weighing in at 1 pound, 4 and two-thirds ounces, Isabella's hands were the size of a quarter and her head the size of a racquetball. Click Here to read more...

Women's project distributes breast milk A Minnesota-based nonprofit agency that collects human breast milk from lactating volunteers in this country and distributes it free of charge here and abroad is getting help from a Manhattan-based courier service.

Daryn Kagan features Breast Milk Project online and in her new book. Click Here for a sneak peek. Take your dose of DarynKagan.com inspiration with you on the go. Much like the website, this book is a series of inspiring stories. Each one as the theme of overcoming obstacles. Think you can't do something because you're scared, don't have enough money, don't have know-how, or face physical challenges? The amazing real people in my first book will change your mind. Comes out Tuesday, April 8th!

Oprah Winfrey features International Breast Milk Project. (Women Around the World, The Orpah Winfrey Show, 10/23/2006)

ABC World News and Good Morning America feature IBMP's 50,000 ounce shipment to Africa. (10/19/2007)

ABC World News Video: "AIDS orphans in Africa receive breast milk from mothers half a world away" (ABC World News, 10/4/2006)

Press Release

On this Father's Day, one father is grateful for the most extraordinary gift - donated breast milk.

Jerry Sciulli's world was nothing but perfect less than 6 months ago. He and his loving wife, Kim, were expecting their first baby and were elated with the anticipation of becoming parents. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

Click here to read more » On January 9th 2008, Baby Isabella came into their world 3 months early and weighed only 1 pound and 4 and 2/3 ounces. Jerry and Kim dealt with the unexpected birth of Isabella as best they could. When doctors told them that because Isabella was so weak, breast milk would increase her chance of survival, Kim started to pump immediately. Kim would try to pump at least 8 times a day and called her breast milk 'liquid gold.' As Isabella started to grow in her first couple of days of life both Jerry and Kim were thrilled.

Then the unimaginable happened. Kim collapsed and died from a rare, unexpected heart problem called postpartum cardiomyopathy.

Days later, Kim's stored breast milk was dwindling while Baby Isabella remained in intensive care. Jerry knew that formula was not an option and would not have been what Kim had wanted. He set out to find donated breast milk for his premature daughter.

His best friend helped him contact International Breast Milk Project, an organization that provided donated breast milk from US mothers to infants affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. This organization was able to help Jerry find donor breast milk for baby Isabella.

So this year for Jerry's first father's day, Isabella has been allowed to come home. She has been thriving on donor breast milk from moms across the US and now weighs 9.5 lbs. Jerry hopes that this donated "liquid gold" continues to help his daughter grow up strong and healthy, just like her mother would have wanted.

Close Section »

STUDENTS TODAY LEADERS FOREVER was selected as the winner of the 2008 Social Entrepreneur's Cup at the June 5th Engaged Philanthropy Conference, hosted by Social Venture Partners Minnesota. This is the first year for the Social Entrepreneur's Cup with the goal to seek out, support, and promote Minnesota's most innovative and effective social entrepreneurs and the non-profit organizations they lead.

Click here to read more » Students Today Leaders Forever's (STLF) mission is to develop young people's leadership through service, relationships, and action. Irene Fernando, Brian Peterson, and Greg Tehven started STLF in their University of Minnesota dorm room over cups of Ramen noodles early in their freshman year. Their idea was simple. They would take the college student spring break ritual of beer and beaches and exchange it for students going on community service road trips. Since then, what started as a college room bull session has become a national movement of youth service and leadership. Today, STLF serves students from a wide range of backgrounds in middle schools, high schools, and colleges across the Midwest.

Since the first Pay-It-Forward tour from the University of Minnesota in 2004, the concept has spread to 15 college campus chapters and two-dozen high schools. Over 3,000 young people have contributed 38,500 hours of service in communities across the country. In keeping with their goal of youth leadership development, students themselves organize and lead all STLF programs.

Judges were impressed by the young founder's entrepreneurial fervor and the hands-on leadership experience the program gives its youthful participants. Fernando, who made the Students Today Leaders Forever presentation to the panel of judges, said about the award, "To me, the Cup represents the culmination and collaboration of thousands of people, dreams, hours, and support. It gives me hope for future social entrepreneurs and innovators, and I am honored to be a part of it."

As the winner, Students Today Leaders Tomorrow will receive a $15,000 general operating grant and 40 hours of consulting services from the experienced entrepreneurs who make up the Social Venture Partners membership.

First runner up, International Breast Milk Project (IBMP), got its start when founder Jill Youse filled her home freezer to overflow with her unused breast milk and wondered what she could do with it that would be of help to children besides her own. IBMP seeks to help the youngest victims of Africa's AIDs pandemic by enabling mothers from across the United States to help infants on the other side of the world in a way that only a mother can - by providing them with their donated breast milk. Breast milk gives infants the nourishment and immunological protection that no formula milk can. To date, IBMP mothers have donated 85,000 pounds of their milk to provide 29,991 meals for African babies making IBMP one of the leading milk banks in the world.

The organization has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC World News, Good Morning America, NPR, BBC, Foreign Policy Magazine, and Time.com. Founder Jill Youse was recently named the ABC World News Person of the Week.

Youse says she is naturally competitive and welcomed the opportunity to go head-to-head against the other finalists. She commented, "Social Venture Partners created the American Idol of philanthropy. It was the honor of a lifetime to be selected as one of the winners by such a prestigious group of judges. I have never seen as many movers and shakers in one room in my life. To be selected as a top social entrepreneur by this group of Minnesota leaders has been life-changing." As the first runner up Youse wins $5,000 and 20 hours of consulting services from Social Venture Partners.

Receiving honorable mentions were Marnita's Table, MicroGrants, and the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center, all of which will receive a $1,000 grant.

At the closing awards ceremony Sandra Vargas, president of the Minneapolis Foundation, awarded the winners their prizes. The Minneapolis Foundation supported the Social Entrepreneur's Cup competition because it believes social entrepreneurship is critical to solving Minnesota's social problems. Vargas says, "The long-term vitality of our community requires us to find new solutions to very long-standing problems. Social entrepreneurship is one of the exciting emerging trends in the field of philanthropy, and the accomplishments of these social entrepreneurs are evidence of the value and impact that they are making in addressing our communities' greatest needs. The Minneapolis Foundation looks forward to deepening our partnership with Social Ventures Partners.”

Judges for the event were Kate Barr, Executive Director, Non-Profits Assistance Fund; Terri Barreiro, Executive Director, Donald McNeely Entrepreneurship Center, University of St. Johns; Steven Clift, founder, eDemocracy and Ashoka Fellow; Sean Kershaw, president of the Citizens League; Dr. Melissa Stone, Director, Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute; and Jeff Tollefson, former venture capitalist and current Executive Director of Genesys Works.

Close Section »

International Breast Milk Project sends 6th shipment of donated breast milk to South Africa

Monrovia, California, USA. (May 19, 2008) - It is said that the common ingredient in breast milk is a mother's love. International Breast Milk Project (IBMP) is enabling mothers from across the United States, to help infants on the other side of the world in a way that only a mother can - by providing them with their donated breast milk.

Click here to read more » On May 20, 2008 International Breast Milk Project will be sending its 6th shipment of donated breast milk to South Africa. The shipment will consist of 43,000 ounces of tested and pasteurized donated breast milk, which is equivalent to approximately 10,000 infant meals. In the past, milk has been sent to the iThemba Lethu milk bank in Durban to supplement their local milk collections for their orphan home. This shipment will be shared with Milk Matters, a milk bank in Cape Town.

Milk Matters is a non-profit organization that collects donated breast milk and supplies it to babies deprived of their mothers' own milk, giving them the best possible start in life. Headed by a passionate and dedicated team, Milk Matters aims to educate both the public and medical personnel about the need for donor breast milk and the incredible benefits that it provides to babies. Milk Matters is also extremely active in promoting of the advantages of breastfeeding in the community.

Quick International Courier, a Manhattan based priority transportation and logistics company with offices throughout the world, has again generously donated the transport of the milk to South Africa. Quick has been involved with IBMP for over a year and is an instrumental partner in the project due to their expertise with the transportation and logistics of life-critical and time-sensitive items and their continuous support for IBMP's shipping needs.

Etlin International Trading contributed warehouse space to store the breast milk and Barpo Storage helped facilitate the connection. The International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses, a trade association that promotes and supports excellence and professionalism in the controlled-temperature warehouse and logistics industry, introduced International Breast Milk Project to the two companies.

Prolacta Bioscience, a life science company, has been partnering with IBMP since 2006 to process and package the donated breast milk.

International Breast Milk Project is the first organization in the world to provide donor breast milk from the United States to infants affected by HIV in Africa. The first batch of donor milk arrived to the iThemba Lethu orphan home in Durban, South Africa in April 2006 and contained the milk of one mom, Jill Youse. She then went on to develop the project into a successful non-profit organization. Since the first shipment, over 3000 moms have applied to donate and over 60,000 ounces have already been sent to infants affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The organization is also raising thousands of dollars to help fund local healthcare initiatives in Africa, which include local milk banking.

For more information about International Breast Milk Project, call Frederique Daniel at (507) 202-9497, email at Frederique@breastmilkproject.org and/or visit www.breastmilkproject.org.

Download Press Release

Close Section »

ST. PAUL, Minn. {November 30, 2007} --- International Breast Milk Project, based in Rochester, Minnesota announces that it has been awarded the Charities Review Council "Meets All Standards" Seal indicating that it meets all sixteen of its Accountability Standards.

Click here to read more » Nonprofit organizations such as International Breast Milk Project earn the Seal by voluntarily participating in the Council’s online Accountability Wizard. The Accountability Wizard is available to all nonprofit organizations soliciting in Minnesota and addresses a nonprofit organization’s performance in four critical areas: Public Disclosure, Governance, Financial Activity and Fundraising. By participating in the Accountability Wizard, nonprofit organizations can demonstrate responsibility, integrity and transparency to their constituents.

International Breast Milk Project is now listed as a reviewed organization on the online Giving Guide of the Council’s Smart Givers Network, www.smartgivers.org and the Council’s Smart Giver newsletter distributed to more than 18,000 subscribers in Minnesota. The listings help a nonprofit organization demonstrate its commitment to accountable ethical practices to the public and that it is a trustworthy organization. The Council’s Smart Givers Network is the source of unbiased information where smart givers come for help and resources on responsible giving. The giving public can investigate an organization’s mission statement and programs, so they can be sure of what their money supports and determine whether it meets widely accepted standards.

The International Breast Milk Project is the first organization in the world to provide donor breast milk from the United States to babies orphaned by disease and poverty in Africa. The first batch of donor milk arrived to the iThemba Lethu orphan home in April 2006 and contained the milk of one mom, Jill Youse. She then went on to develop the project into a successful non-profit organization with help of her brother Will Harlan. Since the first shipment, over 2500 moms have applied to donate and over 55,000 ounces have been sent to infants orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The organization is also raising thousands of dollars to help fund healthcare clinics in Kenya and Tanzania.

For more information about International Breast Milk Project, call Jill Youse at (507) 261-3221 or visit www.breastmilkproject.org.

Close Section »

Breast Milk Project in the News

More News

Program donates breast milk to Africa
by Jeff Hanset (Rochester (MN) Post Bulletin, 1/22/07)

Donation Project Making A Difference
Jennifer Hoff, KTTC TV - ROCHESTER, MN

Fit Pregnancy Preggies: People Making A Difference
Read More

(Gimundo.com, November 2007) Liquid Gold Millionaires: Jill Youse and the International Breast Milk Project Read More

Seven Questions: The International Breast Milk Project
(Foreign Policy Magainze, Jan. 2007)

Breast Milk and Baby Names
by Steven Levitt (Freakonomics Blog (National Best-Selling Book), 1/13/2007)

Midwest Love to South Africa
by Greg Vandergrift (KARE 11 TV, Minneapolis

Message in a Bottle: Jill Youse
(Women's Health Magazine, December 2006)

Missouri Woamn Starts Worldwide Project to Send Breast Milk to Africa
by Ann Rubin (KSDK News, St. Louis, 11/29/2006)

Putting Breast Milk to Good Use
by John Perra (TIME.com, 11/27/2006)

Breast Milk Bank
by Daryn Kagan (DarynKagan.com, 11/23/2006)

U.S. Companies Deliver Special Thanksgiving to Babies in Africa
by Lindsay Sterling (lindsaysterling.com, 11/23/2006)

Rochester woman starts Int'l Breast Milk Project
by Lauren Dittmer (KAAL TV, 10/17/2006)

US breast milk for Aids babies a world-first
by Christina Gallagher (The Independant on Saturday, 10/7/06)

ABC World News Video: "AIDS orphans in Africa receive breast milk from mothers half a world away" (ABC World News, 10/4/2006)

Breast milk donation heals wounds
by Annie Nelson (Columbia Daily Tribune, 10/4/2006)

"Express Delivery" (view pdf) (Columbia Daily Tribune, 5/10/2006)

Mother sends breast milk donation to South Africa
by Katie Molloy (Missourian News, 5/2/2006)

"Liquid Gold" (Kansas City Star)

Columbia Woman Donates Milk
(KBIA News, 4/28/2006)

Got Milk?
by Annie Nelson (Columbia Daily Tribune, 4/27/2006)

Health Matters Report
(KOMU TV, 4/25/2006)

Media Contact

MEDIA CONTACT
International Breastmilk Project
Jill Youse jill@breastmilkproject.org info@breastmilkproject.org
www.breastmilkproject.org

Monthly Updates

Please read our monthly updates from our founder, Jill Youse.