Hi Folks,

 

I thought I would offer an agenda of what tomorrow's meeting will entail.  I have decided that we would discuss some upcoming ideas for next year during the first :45 min.  If there are women who are looking for support, we will shift to that topic afterwards, around 11:30 am. 

 

Some of the ideas we are considering for next year will include:

 

1)  One or two fundraisers.  I would like to see a "clothing swap" night.  We could do one with adult clothing and one with children's.  For the adult one, we would charge, say, $3 for women who bring clothes and $5 for women who don't, and have tables of skirts, dresses, blouses, purses, etc., and people could grab whatever they would like. In the case of the children's clothes, we could have a boy's side and a girl's side, and then maybe even include toys in the swap. In either case, whatever is left over would be offered to charity, perhaps a women's shelter or something of that nature.  Any suggestions are welcome.

    To make this a success, and fun, we will need to secure a location, have ticket takers, an people to help set up/take down.  I would like to make this a really nice event, so donations of food and prize items would be most helpful.  If anyone knows a DJ who is interested in donating his/her time and skills, that would really add to the fun.

    To add to the manpower (or womanpower, as it were), I have also proposed this idea to another organization I work with, which is the Ladies Auxiliary of the Kenmore Volunteer Fire Dept.  We would split any earnings with them.

 

2) A Cesarean Awareness Event.  I would like to get some community "experts" - open-minded OB's with lower than average c/s rates, perhaps a midwife, someone with credible expertise in the birth field who's also at least mainly like-minded with ICAN's principles.  If you know someone whom you think would fit the bill, please let me know who and how to contact them. 

    Again, for this event, I would need a location, food and perhaps some prizes to keep it fun.  I might consider opening tables up to other organizations, doulas, midwives, etc. who want to participate.  I'd especially like to focus our attention on the southtowns area, because this seems to be where most of the women who contact ICAN of Buffalo are coming from. 

 

I do hope you all can make it.  Please bring your ideas and your calendars along!

 

Rachel Zeller

ICAN of Buffalo