Grant Application for
Great Start Collaborative of Charlevoix, Emmet, & Northern Antrim Counties
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Great Start Collaborative & Family Coalition is to coordinate a system of community resources and support to strengthen families and improve child outcomes. Our vision is that every child and family is nurtured and supported so they may thrive.
Fiscal agent if applicant is not tax exempt:
Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District
Tax ID Number:
38-1714461
Contact First Name:
Contact Last Name:
Savanah
Cool
Address:
08568 Mercer Blvd. Charlevoix, MI 49720
Email:
Phone Number:
231.373.2914
Website:
Project Name:
Lactation Support Kits
Project start and end dates:
October 1, 2025
September 30, 2026
Amount Requested:
$
5000
Project Description:
Across the state of Michigan, health professionals are working together to support women in achieving their lactation & breastfeeding goals. Breastfeeding is often a challenging endeavor, accompanied by physical, emotional, and financial strain. To assist women on this journey, we aim to create Lactation Support Kits that provide both essential supplies & valuable information, education, and resources to help overcome barriers & foster community connection.
Each kit will include: Lanolin nipple cream, a passive milk collection device, breast milk storage bags, breast milk testing strips, a soft-sided cooler, a community resource guide, a baby book, information about postpartum doula services, details about the local infant carrier lending library, links to breastfeeding support resources & video tutorials.
Kits will be distributed to postpartum women through local community access points, including staff at the Health Dept. of NW Michigan, local doulas, & lactation consultants.
Goal of the Project
How many people will you reach?
175
What percentage are female?
100
If your program serves both males and females, how will Hestia funds specifically target women and girls?
While we acknowledge that all individuals have the opportunity to pursue breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human lactation, we anticipate that nearly all beneficiaries will be women and their children.
How are recipients identified or selected to receive services? Is financial need considered?
Data from 2023 indicates that approximately 439 babies were born to residents of Charlevoix and Emmet counties. These figures reflect the mothers' county of residence, not the geographic location of birth. While we will strive to expand funding to offer kits to as many women as possible, our goal is to reach 40% of birthing women in our first year. By fostering collaboration among the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, doulas serving Medicaid recipients, and local lactation consultants, we aim to address the needs of our most vulnerable community members.
What do you hope to achieve? What difference will this make in the lives of women and girls?
How will this project meet Hestia's mission statement?
Lactation Support Kits will provide a meaningful level of community care, connection, & support. The perinatal period is one of the most challenging times in a woman's life. With physical, mental, emotional, & physiological transitions occurring simultaneously—and with many women increasingly isolated from their social networks—offering community care, connection, & concrete support is vital for the health & well-being of both mother & baby.
Over the past two years, the Great Start Collaborative has worked to build a more efficient, collaborative, & resource-rich system of community care for perinatal women. This work includes: training and supporting a community of local doulas, educating maternal & infant health specialists in Perinatal Mood Components of Care & proper infant carrying, creating an infant carrier lending library, providing community-wide training on Perinatal Substance Use Disorder.
Through these efforts, we aim to cultivate a community of informed, empathetic, & educated providers—trusted advisors &navigators—who can connect women with the resources, information, & materials needed to achieve wellness & their desired perinatal experience.
How will you evaluate or measure your success:
We will work with our distribution partners to collect data on kit distribution, connection points made, referrals to additional resources and care, and to gather feedback on the quality and impact of receiving these materials. Additionally, we hope to see increased utilization of Health Department of Northwest Michigan services and supports, as well as families referring other families to the Health Department for similar resources, referrals, and assistance.
Grant Project Budget Form
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