Whole Foods in Hadley, MA will host a 5% Day to benefit MotherWoman on Monday, June 7. So, put it in your calendar and head over there on June 7th to pick up a few items or save your grocery shopping for the week on that day! 5% of sales that day will be donated to MotherWoman.

Download this grocery list and put it on your fridge as a reminder!

Can you volunteer?
We need volunteers to staff a MotherWoman table at Whole Foods on Tuesday June 1 during 2-6pm, Saturday June 5 during 10-2pm, Monday June 7 during 11-6pm.
Contact Annette Cycon to sign up!

HB 3897 recently received a "study order" from the Financial Services Committee.  This can mean the end of the line for many bills (at least until the next two-year legislative session), but Representative Ellen Story is hopeful that it doesn't need to mean that for this legislation.  Representative Story has been meeting with her colleagues about the bill, is working hard behind the scenes to understand why this bill has stalled, and to come up with a version that will take important steps to make things better for postpartum moms in Massachusetts. For more information contact Liz Friedman. 

Our emergency visit to the State House to show our support worked! Thanks to everyone's fast action and support over the last few weeks - we have cleared a MAJOR hurdle today! The bill got voted favorably out of the Committee on Health Care Financing!

The next step is the committee on Ways & Means. Luckily some of our local legislators are sit in key positions on this bill! We will be visiting the State House again in the near future to get acquainted with our new committee- If you would like to be involved and help plan for our next visit please contact Marianne Bullock.

Click here to find your legislator. Contact them to say you support Paid Sick Days. Why paid sick days?
Women are still most likely to be the primary care-takers of their families. That means that women are more likely to be at risk for punishment and termination under bad policies and practices. In addition, paid sick days have tremendous public health and financial benefits, including:
- fewer emergency room and hospital visits
- children will get better faster and stay healthier
- seasonal and pandemic flu will be better contained
- increased job and income security for employees

MotherWoman is bringing Boston Medical Center Pediatrician Bobbi Philip, MD back to the Valley to provide a second training about the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, breastfeeding best practices standards and policy regarding nursing moms. This training is part of MotherWomen's ongoing project aimed at making Western, MA the first region in the country to have all of its hospitals certified as Baby-Friendly.  Baby-Friendly is a an international WHO/UNICEF designation for hospitals that meet a set of criteria designed to provide optimum support for breastfeeding mothers in a hospital setting. Boston Medical Center is currently the only baby-friendly certified hospital in Massachusetts.  In Sweden, 100% of hospitals are baby-friendly certified. This project is being implemented by MotherWoman's political arm- MomsRising of the Pioneer Valley. Space is limited. Please RSVP to Marianne Bullock. 

Join MotherWoman as we participate in the Fifth Annual Mother's Puppet Parade and March for Peace.

When: Mother's Day, May 9th, 12 noon, Ritual Performance at 1 pm in Pulaski Park.
(Raindate May 16th)
Where: Main Street, Northampton, Ma
(Puppeteers will be gathering at 11am at the Bridge St. school lawn.

Who: The MOther Earth JOurney Puppets, including the Great Mama, the Earth, dolphins and a whale, birds and beasts, the Carbon turtle and the Hurricane bird, Tara Mama, the Fox, the Phoenix, the Windmill and the Transition Town Turtle! Plus a community of puppet makers, peacemakers, activists, the Transition Town folks, the Pedal People, MotherWoman, and many more including you!

For more information contact: Beth Fairservis
or go to MOEJO PUPPETS on Facebook.
413-268-3588