Happy August!

One year ago, you signed a petition created by Indiana Families for Midwifery to save hospital-based midwifery care in Lafayette, IN. This petition was in response to a hospital in Lafayette, IN, ending midwife-attended births at their hospital without any notice to staff or patients. Families who had planned water births with midwives throughout their pregnancies were shocked to arrive at the hospital in labor only to find they couldn't have a water birth and wouldn't be able to see the midwife team they had been working with. WLFI News Coverage

It has been 17 months and over 20,000 signatures, and there is still no local hospital offering midwife-attended birth as an option for care. Instead, families are now traveling 70 or more miles for care. Fortunately, during this time, some members of Indiana Families for Midwifery formed Allium Birth & Family Center to build a birth center in Lafayette, IN. Midwifery care has been shown to improve outcomes for mothers and babies, and when the hospitals in our area wouldn't provide this option, we decided to take action ourselves.

These dedicated community members banded together, underwent training from the American Association of Birth Centers, and filed paperwork with the IRS to become a federally recognized nonprofit organization. We are thrilled to announce that Allium has successfully secured its 501(c)(3) status and is ready to begin fundraising to ensure access to midwifery care in our community.

We wanted you to be the first to know about this significant milestone. This recognition means that we are now eligible for grants, and your contributions are tax-deductible.

Our board of directors includes prominent members of the community with expertise in finance, nonprofit work, business, real estate, buildings management, and birth work. We are now looking to build our fundraising committee and are seeking motivated individuals interested in donating their time to further this cause. We are especially looking for people with experience in event planning, marketing, graphic design, social media, website design, and fundraising. Additionally, we will be holding our annual board member elections at the public annual organizational meeting in November (date to be determined). If you are interested in joining our efforts, please contact us at alliumlafayette@gmail.com.

We still need donations to make this dream a reality. You can easily donate here: Donate Now. Please be aware that any funds given on the Change.org website ONLY benefit Change.org. Change.org does NOT pass these funds on to the organizers of petitions or organizations. If every person that signed our petition donated $20, we would be able to begin building this birth center TOMORROW.

Also, be sure to follow us on social media @alliumcenter on Facebook and Instagram. There, you can find photos and bios of all our current board members. You can now host personal fundraisers for Allium on Facebook, such as birthday fundraisers. Simply make a Facebook post, select "raise money," and choose Allium Birth & Family Center to benefit.

As one of our very first supporters, you understand the importance of this birth center. Indiana has some of the worst maternal and fetal outcomes in the United States, which already lags behind other developed countries in terms of birth safety. Evidence consistently shows that midwifery care improves outcomes significantly. Midwife-attended births are associated with lower rates of cesarean sections, fewer preterm births, lower rates of neonatal complications, and decreased third and fourth-degree perineal tears. Additionally, midwives provide personalized care that fosters a supportive and respectful birthing environment.
 
​Beyond birth services, Allium will offer essential community programs to support families throughout their journey. We will provide lactation consultations, prenatal and postpartum education, support groups, and family wellness programs. Our goal is to create a comprehensive support system that empowers families and promotes better health outcomes for both mothers and babies.
 
​Thank you for your continued support.

Allium Birth & Family Center
Board of Directors