SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Mothers are turning to social media and other community efforts during the baby formula shortage. Shipments of baby formula from other countries are coming in slowly but some families are in need of it now.
The Syracuse-based non-profit, Sankofa Reproductive Health & Healing Center, supports mothers during pregnancy, giving birth, and post-partum. Besides their services from doulas to lactation resources, they are now trying to help with the formula shortage. Co-founder Sequoia Kemp said social media has been their medium.
“Somebody might contact Sankofa like ‘hey can you help this person,’ so a lot of what we’ve been seeing is people really returning to social media to request support from their community and we’ve been trying to fill in the gaps,” said Kemp.
Outside of Syracuse, mothers around the nation have been putting this into practice. Jazmine Rodriguez, a pregnant mother of a toddler in Oklahoma, has seen this support system all over her social media.
“All the moms have Facebook groups to try to help each other and they’re just constantly posting pictures of the grocery stores when they have a few cans available when if they’ve restocked or oh go to this Target, go to this Walmart,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez plans to breastfeed her expected baby, but she also has plans set if this isn’t possible. She said she plans to order baby formula off of Amazon from Canada and maybe even Europe.
From social media to real life, mothers all over are supporting each other in this time of need.
“I have one mother who gives breast milk and formula, so she was like because I couldn’t rely on my breast milk, she donated a few cans to the center,” said Kemp.
For additional resources, the support group Help Me Grow Onondaga said they expect to have more formula within a week or two.