Introducing the Community Choice Award: Celebrating Quiet Champions of Lactation Equity
At Breastfeed Durham, we believe that supporting breastfeeding, chest feeding, and human milk feeding families is everyone’s job. And yet, we know that institutional barriers—bureaucracy, red tape, and even internal politics—can sometimes prevent organizations from formally participating in recognition programs like our Breastfeeding Welcome Award or the Ten Steps to a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community.
But that doesn’t mean those organizations aren’t doing the work. Some of our very favorite places need make it onto the official list.
Maybe the owner lives out of state and only drops in once a quarter. Maybe the corporate office is hard to reach. Maybe a well-meaning staff member just never got around to sending in the form. Meanwhile, the manager shows up every single day to welcome lactating families with open arms.
You walk in, and they don’t flinch. They smile. They offer water. They say, “You’re welcome to feed your baby anywhere you feel comfortable.” They make space without making it awkward. They make you feel at home.
And so, we created something new:
🌟 The Community Choice Award 🌟
This award is different. It’s not based on forms, signatures, or official designations. It’s based on real-life experiences—on what families tell us, what coalition members notice, and how welcoming a place feels.
These are the places where:
- Staff members go out of their way to make parents feel comfortable feeding their babies.
- Managers accommodate breastfeeding employees with kindness and respect—even without a written policy.
- Community members consistently say, “That’s my favorite place to go when I need to nurse.”
- We’ve tried (oh, how we’ve tried) to get the official paperwork submitted, but we just can’t get the decision-maker to follow through.
Rather than let bureaucracy block recognition, we’re choosing to honor these spaces anyway.
Why It Matters
Visibility matters. Recognition matters. And community trust? It matters most of all.
By celebrating these unofficial yet undeniably supportive places, we send a clear message: Families deserve to know where they’ll be welcomed—whether the paperwork ever gets turned in or not.
Help Us Name More Champions
Is there a business, clinic, or organization in Durham that has made a difference for your family? Somewhere you felt seen, safe, and supported—despite the lack of signage or formal accolades?
Nominate them for our Community Choice Award. This is our way of saying thank you to the people who lead with heart, even when the system makes it hard.
Because at Breastfeed Durham, we’re not just building a breastfeeding-friendly community on paper—we’re building it in real life.
With gratitude and hope,
The Breastfeed Durham Team