Labor Day

Went to the Water Wall today--and the fountain had been turned off! What a bummer. It's a nice place to vist every now and then, not just for enjoying the fountain itself but also because it's nice to watch the social scene that surrounds it.

Because it was early in the day we did enjoy a short sit in the grass. Pictures coming later. I don't think the babies will let me post them tonight. I need to make sure we all sleep well. Long to-do list for tomorrow.

From the CDP:

Dear friends,

September and October are the peak months for births in the US. There are many pregnant women at the Astrodome and many women with very small babies. The situation is so critical they are mixing formula with water from buckets using zip lock bags (account from Mrs. D., one of Nadia's clients, who just came back from volunteering at the center).

We are placing a call to see who would like to help pregnant women at the hospital and immediately afterwards to help with the baby and breastfeeding. (Please let me know also if you speak another language, especially Spanish).

We are contacting local hospitals and the Houston Area Perinatal Collaborative to inform them we may be able to provide volunteer help specifically for mothers who are alone or in precarious situations. People are also sleeping anywhere they can, in chairs, etc., with the lights on day and night. Let us know if you could also potentially offer temporary shelter to pregnant or nursing mothers -

We are contacting some of the public agencies we work with on a regular basis to see how we can help coordinate some of that effort. They trust us for the quality of our work. As you know, everyone is overwhelmed right now, and this will have to be a sustained effort. Anyway we can help with a piece of it makes a big difference.

[Contact info withheld. Ask me if you are interested in helping, or if you know someone who can!]

The mission of the Community Doula Program is to educate and nurture expectant youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods, by cultivating peer Doulas from the communities served.