Local doula in Burien offers free baby formula to Black families
BURIEN, Wash. - A doula in downtown Burien is offering free baby formula to Black families across Washington state to help them during the nationwide shortage.
Blackberry Full Spectrum Doula Support may be a hidden gem for the Black, Indigenous and people of color community (BIPOC), but once you find the sign with a blackberry on it, the doors open to resources needed for a healthy birth or what's desperately needed after.
The owner, Jazmin Williams, became a doula a few years ago, and says she immediately noticed that the black community needed more resources and education regarding pregnancy and early childcare. At Blackberry Full Spectrum Doula Support, those will be provided for free. Williams says she's working with a number of local groups such as, Tubman Health, Odessa Brown Children's Clinic, Tacoma Urban League, and "Find My Formula," to get Black families free formula. If a family needs other items like, breast milk, car seats and clothes, those are also available.
"If there's something that I don't have that somebody needs, I'll see if I can make a request out to the community for it," said Williams. "If I'm not able to get it through donations, then usually the money that I make from people paying me for doula support is actually put back into my community, and so I will go ahead and purchase these items for families to make sure that they have what they need."
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When it comes to formula, Williams says she's spent $9,700 getting what she can when it's available, and has about $300 left to buy formula. Williams says If you have it, and you're not using it, she'll take it.
Williams is asking anyone who needs help or anyone who would like to make a donation to email her at jazmin@blkbry.com or visit her website and fill out a form.