Happy holidays from Supporting Sunrise!
We are closing out this year grateful for all we have accomplished and excited about what is to come in the new year. We would like to share some of our successes of 2022:
· We were born! After more than a year of planning, plotting, mission-honing, website-making, officially incorporating, non-profit status-seeking (and getting!), we officially become a 501©3 organization in 2022.
· We implemented our flagship program! Our first major effort as an organization was to fund the Descendants of Grand Midwives scholarship, which provides educational support to Black student midwives. We spread the word about the opportunity, reviewed applications, interviewed applicants and…
· We handed out our first two awards! We selected two highly-qualified Black midwifery students—one a CPM student and one on the PEP track, one in Virginia and one in Maryland—and both very committed to their passion to serve Black and Brown communities as future midwives.
We are so excited about what we have accomplished so far. We are even more excited about meeting our future goals. Here is our plan for the upcoming year:
· Provide six more Descendants of Grand Midwives scholarships: two new and one returning applicant in January 2023—accepting applications through December 31!—and one new and two returning applicants in July 2023. Application window: June 1-30
· Provide four doula scholarships through Childbirth International (CBI) in April 2023. Application window: March 1-31, 2023
· Expand into community support for birthing families, beginning with a diaper drive in May 2023. Keep an eye out for details!
· Provide four lactation consultation scholarships also through Childbirth International (CBI) in October 2023. Application window: September 1-30, 2023
We believe this work is crucial and are humbled to help carry it out. Whether you are a birth worker, a student working to become one, a birthing person or someone who cares about reproductive justice, we invite you to join our community. We are so glad you are here.