Tracy Russell Executive Director Mother and Child Health Coalition
Please consider Nurture KC this Giving Tuesday

What began as a local idea at the Ninety-Second Street Y in New York in 2012 has evolved into a global day of giving to worthy causes known as Giving Tuesday. It is a day to celebrate generosity through direct action and falls on December 1 this year.

Nurture KC is participating in Giving Tuesday as a way to shine a spotlight on maternal and infant health and continue building support for our mission. While we are joining thousands of other nonprofits in this campaign, it is our hope that serving these families will resonate with you.

Why give to Nurture KC?

Direct Impact: Every dollar raised supports the families we serve. These services and goods include: cribs, car seats, diapers, safe sleep education, car safety education and many other services to help our families navigate pregnancy and motherhood.

Local Investment: Your contribution serves families from the 14 Zip codes of Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS with the highest rates of infant mortality. An investment in Nurture KC is a commitment to Kansas City.

Unprecedented Need: Covid-19 continues to hurt our families through lost employment and lack of resources to meet basic needs. Nurture KC stepped up and provided families with fresh produce and grocery store gift cards to alleviate some of this burden.

Culture of Giving: Some of our families rallied around one of their own who experienced hardship. A Healthy Start mom was involved in a car accident and some of the other moms collected money to help her during a difficult time. These are families for whom every dollar counts and they generously paid it forward.

I know there are competing demands for your time and treasure. I hope you will join me in providing Kansas City babies with a healthy start by giving here: Giving Tuesday

Gratefully,
Tracy Russell
Executive Director, Nurture KC
Recapping our Legislative Quarterly Meeting

Nurture KC held its annual Legislative Quarterly Meeting on Friday, November 20. This year’s meeting -- Prioritizing Family Health in a Pandemic -- featured keynote speaker, Gina Chiala, who serves as the Executive Director of Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom. In this role, she represents clients facing eviction in Jackson County. Chiala spoke to the connection between Covid-19 policies and funding, and the housing crisis made worse during the pandemic for many Kansas Citians.

Meeting participants gained insight and analysis into the local, state and national political landscape as well as progress on our 2020 legislative priorities. A new agenda was discussed and approved by Nurture KC members and includes the following policy priorities moving forward for 2021: 
  • Access to Care
  • Tobacco Prevention
  • Immunization Support
  • COVID-19 Relief

All of these adopted policies link to maternal and infant health.

To view the new policy package in detail and review how we did in 2020, please join Nurture KC today (at Nurture KC Membership) and access our Members Only page on our web site. One of the benefits of membership is timely information on legislative happenings, including bill tracking and calls to action.
Say "no" to flavored tobacco for KC, MO

As you know, Nurture KC advocates for government legislation to improve the health of local families. Kansas City, MO is considering a ban on all flavored tobacco products, which Nurture KC supports. Our Executive Director, Tracy Russell, testified in favor of the ban.

Russell explains why: “There is a direct link between tobacco use and adverse birth outcomes. Tobacco plays a role in pre-term birth (14%), low-weight birth (20-30%), birth defects and even infant death (10%). The tobacco ban will discourage use of these products that ultimately target communities of color and our kids.”

KCUR reports KC’s lowest-income neighborhoods are nearly 10 times more likely to be located near a tobacco retailer than its highest-income ones, and that flavored products are disproportionately marketed to Black communities.
Spotlight on these new partners ...

A big thank you to the Wyandotte Angels and the Kansas City Kansas Police Department for providing groceries to 24 families in our Healthy Start program. We appreciate their generosity, especially right before Thanksgiving!

The Wyandotte Angels lift up those in need in Wyandotte County by assisting with food, clothing, kids/baby items and more. We look forward to this new partnership!
Start new traditions this holiday season

Thanksgiving may look different for many of us due to the pandemic. As you give thanks, consider a new tradition - helping our local moms and babies who need your support now more than ever! Donate on our Giving Tuesday page and please spread the word to your family and friends.

Here are three easy ways to help us spread awareness about this campaign:

1) Share an email (or any type of communication) with our donation link: www.nurturekc.org/givingtuesday2020

2) Share this Facebook post.

3) Share this Tweet.

We appreciate your support!
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Donations in any amount will help us continue our work of improving the lives of KC mentro area families. For detailed information about our programs, CLICK HERE.
NURTURE KC
1111 W. 39th St., Ste 100
Kansas City MO 64111