On June 22nd, Unity Bands, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization proudly supporting health care workers in need, donated comfortable, clinically appropriate shoes to 21 individuals enrolled in the Diversifying Doulas Initiative cohort training in Worcester, MA, at UMass Memorial Medical Center. This particular cohort represents doulas from refugee and immigrant communities and is made possible through a close collaboration between Diversifying Doulas Initiative and Worcester Refugee and Immigrant Support and Empowerment (RISE) for Health, a non profit re-envisioning healthcare delivery to refugee and immigrant communities. The Diversifying Doulas Initiative is attributed from the efforts of Dr. Hamblin, Dr. Livingston, and Dr. Goodall McDonald, founders of Patients R Waiting, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity in the healthcare system.
Unity Bands’ donation of shoes, in a project known as ‘Air Unity’, has left a mark on other organizations over the last year, most recently being 15 individuals in the University of Maryland Washington Medical Center Certified Nursing Assistant program. This last year, Unity Bands casted a wider net to reach providers in the healthcare system that might be overlooked, by asking ‘who have we left out’? Patients R Waiting was eager to partner with Unity Bands in efforts to show support for the healthcare workers during their doula training. This was the first time Unity Bands hosted a donation drop in the northeast region of the U.S.
This 8-week training program is made possible through a 3-year grant provided to Worcester RISE for Health by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Grant to Increase Maternal Care Access and Expand Delivery Models (MCA), in part to increase Black and Latinx doulas within our communities. Diversifying Doulas Initiative is essential to public health as this training social justice minded community members to become doulas, equipping them to improve maternal health through their work. Doula support is associated with decreased C-sections, mood disorders and increased satisfaction with the birth experience. Like Unity Bands, Diversifying Doulas Initiative was sparked due to the pandemic, as health disparities in childbirth for women of color rose to an all time high. To date, the Diversifying Doulas Initiative has trained 84 doulas of color.
Faces beamed as gift boxes with shoes and other resources were handed out to DDI trainees on Sunday afternoon in Worcester to jump start their doula careers.
“Our team is enthusiastic about collaborating with Unity Bands. We are excited about this partnership,” said Karisa Augustine, Director of Pipeline Programs.
This is one of several health care initiatives that Unity Bands supports in the community. The organization proudly supports health care workers, particularly those in entry-level positions or in need, and provides credible public health information to at-risk communities to encourage informed health care decision-making. The organization hosts a monthly speaker series with health care professionals featuring topics such as self-care literacy.
“At Unity Bands, our goal is to support health care workers with families who may need additional resources,” said John Schirrippa, Unity Bands founder and board member. “We’re here to remove barriers and common concerns such as how to pay bills so they can focus on other important things.”
Since its inception, Unity Bands donated over $18,000 in comfort care items and medical equipment to hospitals. They also support programs such as Feeding the Frontlines and health care worker resiliency efforts. Unity Bands is based out of Annapolis and supports communities along the East Coast.
Instrumental to this installment of Air Unity was Chloe Bucs, a new volunteer who drove over an hour to participate.
“It went so well! It was a privilege to watch and make such a positive impact firsthand,” said Bucs.
You can learn more about Unity Bands and to make a donation, visit www.unitybands.org