Fall is here, giving us a moment to reflect back on what a tremendous year 2009 has been so far and to tell you about some exciting things still to come!

 

We've been hard at work meeting the needs of pregnant women and their families.  This year, we have seen a tremendous increase in requests for doula services over the last year.  We will end the year serving over 170 women - a 28% increase over 2009.  Along with this increase in the numbers, we have seen a significant change in the needs of the pregnant women seeking our services.  As is predictable in times of economic stress, the women coming to Open Arms are experiencing more stress in their families, more relationships that ended before the birth of their babies, and more domestic violence.  Open Arms doulas were able to provide vital support to pregnant women and their families during this critical time in our communities.

 

And what amazing doulas they are!  In spite of losing major funding from the County, we were able to meet the the needs of the women coming to us primarily thanks to the outpouring of support from doulas in our community.  Many doulas stepped forward and volunteered their services this year showing their commitment that no woman should be left alone during this important time in her life.  We are grateful for this community support.  Our doulas' dedication has made us even more committed to ensuring the funds we need to run a vibrant volunteer program for those who are able and willing to volunteer, and to pay our doulas market rate for their services.

 

 

  * Open Arms hired 4 outreach doulas this year for our 

  community based program in White Center - Hawa

  Egal, Yen Baynes, Libin Egal and Margarita Celis.  This

  program is a part of the White Center Early Learning

  Initiative.  www.wceli.org

 

  *  We awarded 15 scholarships this year to aspiring doulas which helped cover the costs of doula training and professional fees.

 

*  We had almost 30 women volunteer their doula services to us in the first three quarters of the year, either as they worked towards their certification  or as part of their doula practice. 

 

*  We are excited about our new location in White Center!  Our WCELI staff are now located in the White Center neighborhood at 906 SW Trenton Street.  Placement in the community helps us be part of the community and already we have had folks from the neighborhood drop by and chat about their families and birth experiences.

 

* We are working with the Swedish - Ballard in-patient treatment program on a pilot project to provide doula services to 10 pregnant women who are currently in treatment and recovery from drug addiction.  At the end of the year, we will evaluate the project for possible continuation/expansion for next year.

See our webpage at http://www.openarmsps.org/events.html for more information about all of these events.

 

* As you know, our Inaugural Fundraising Luncheon last spring was a huge success. Open Arms received over $36,000.00 in donations and sponsorships, which was critical in supporting our programs in this economically challenging time.  We are thrilled that so many were able to join us and hope you will join us at our next luncheon in March 2010. 

Note:  We are currently looking for sponsors and table captains, so if you are interested, please contact our office at 206-723-6868 or email us at events@openarmsps.org.

 

*  We are looking forward to our Second Annual Short & Sweet Auction!  This year, we are delighted to be holding the auction at Glassybaby's glass blowing studio in the Madrona neighborhood.  The event will be held on December 4th, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Not only will great items be available through the auction, but Glassybaby votives will be available for sale, with part of the proceeds going to Open Arms.  There will also be glassblowing demonstrations throughout the event.  We hope you'll join us and spread the word - it promises to be a fun way to get some of your holiday shopping done!

 

*  Yo! Mama, a hip-hop show for all ages will be held this winter. This benefit show for Open Arms is all about celebrating mothers, children and family. Last year's event was a huge success. More details will be available soon.

 

 

Help Open Arms earn money while you search and shop online. There are two very easy ways to support Open Arms Perinatal Services whenever you're online - GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com.

GoodSearch.com is an online search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and GoodSearch will make a donation to Open Arms.