Becoming a Peer Counselor | Upcoming events | Staff Photos | Past events | Peer Counselor training schedule

 

Established in Charlotte, NC, BELLAS is a non-profit organization helping new mothers provide their babies with a healthy start to life. Since 1992, BELLAS has provided breastfeeding support to low-income, minority, and teen-age mothers free of charge. Mothers often lack the resources to obtain lactation assistance, and BELLAS offers them support throughout the duration of breastfeeding so that their babies can gain the most from breast milk.One of the cornerstones of our success has been the experience and empathy of our counselors. We have a culturally diverse counseling staff including Lactation Consultants certified by the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and La Leche League Leaders with as much as 20 years of experience in breastfeeding instruction. All BELLAS counselors:

• Receive 40 hours of initial breastfeeding education and ongoing
  continuing education
  
• Have personal experience nursing their own children
  
• Attend local, regional and national conferences for the latest research
  related to breastfeeding
  
• Have access to research and the support of their mentors
• BELLAS also has many bilingual Peer Counselors who are fluent in Spanish
  enabling us to reach out to the growing Latino community.

Our dream for tomorrow is to provide breastfeeding peer counseling to a higher percentage of low-income, minority and adolescent mothers, particularly in Mecklenburg County’s growing Hispanic community, while continuing to meet and exceed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services goal of 75% of mothers initiating breastfeeding, and 50% of mothers continuing to breastfeed at six months. To see a complete list of the services offered by BELLAS Breastfeeding, click here! For more information on breastfeeding or services, please call your BELLAS Peer Counselor or call our Warmline at (704) 971-3084

 

How You Can Help: Our support and resources are offered in both English and Spanish, without charge to any mother who wishes to breastfeed and cannot afford other lactation assistance. These services are supported by grants and charitable donations from individuals and organizations who recognize the value of a breastfeeding relationship between a mother and her child. Please take a moment and consider helping us to help mothers. Our goal is to raise $100,000 by December 2009. One hundred $1,000 donations will make that possible. You can decide today to be a part of that vital group of one hundred. Your tax deductible donation will impact the lives of families throughout this community for generations to come.       DONATE TODAY!     BELLAS' postal address is: 2110 Eastway Drive, Charlotte, NC  28205.

My Story Page

Click here to read inspiring stories from mothers who were helped by BELLAS Breastfeeding!

 

Staff Photos

Upcoming events: Be sure to check this page frequently for all the latest events!

 

Peer Counselor training and schedule

BELLAS staff, 2008