Together We Are the Village Helping a New Mother

The Nurturing Collaborative has provided me with a whole sisterhood of moms. This amazing initiative, a partnership between Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Birthworkers United, Inc., works directly with locally owned businesses to provide care packages and wellness experiences for expecting BIPOC parents and children, during and after pregnancy. Participants of the program also receive a box of food every month, which has been a huge help to make sure I’m eating the right food for my baby and myself. I’m a first-time mom, and one of my biggest challenges has been feeling nauseous a lot. I also became anemic during the pregnancy, so knowing the right types of food to eat has kept the baby and myself healthy. The food is delivered right to our homes thanks
to a partnership with DoorDash, and the boxes come with recipes, just like a meal delivery service!

Another incredible component of The Nurturing Collaborative is the workshops offered. The workshops have covered mental health, prenatal care, health and nutrition, cooking techniques, and self-care. Self-care is one of the biggest things I didn’t think about, and I know other moms don’t think about it either. Moms are always worrying about the babies, but we need to remember to take care of ourselves too. It is so important for moms to be as healthy and calm as they can be throughout the pregnancy.

It was great to go to these workshops and ask questions. The Nurturing Collaborative also offered rides to any participants who didn’t have transportation to get to the workshops. A virtual option for all the workshops was also offered, which I was able to utilize when I wasn’t feeling well. My partner Nick attended all the workshops too. The program also offered a Resource Fair,
which I attended on behalf of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin where I work full-time as a FoodShare Outreach Specialist. When I’m out in the community helping with FoodShare sign-ups, I’ve been signing moms up for The Nurturing Collaborative as well, which has been very rewarding.

Nancy Arce-Aguilar
Nurturing Collaborative Mom, and FoodShare Outreach Specialist for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin