OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank to open new drop site in Erie County

SANDUSKY – The OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank will open a new milk drop location in Erie County on Tuesday.

The new drop site, located at the Erie County Health Department offices on Superior Street in Sandusky, will house a freezer to store donated human milk, which will be transferred to the milk bank in Columbus.

The OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank provides pasteurized human milk to those infants whose mothers are unable to provide milk to nourish their babies. It is one of just 29 milk banks in North America.

“We are thrilled to be opening this new milk drop to make donating even easier,” said Chris Smith, RN, IBCLC, outreach coordinator and lactation consultant at the milk bank. “With this new milk drop, approved donors in and around Sandusky can conveniently donate their milk. Pasteurized donor milk is liquid gold for babies who need it. In 2021 alone we distributed nearly 421,107 ounces of milk all over the country – that’s 3,289 gallons! Just one ounce can feed a premature infant for three days, so every little bit helps.”

The Sandusky site will be OhioHealth’s 18th milk drop location in Ohio.

“We are so excited to open a milk drop site at the Erie County Health Department,” said Andrea Caudill, RN, IBCLC who oversees the Erie/Huron County WIC Program. “This new partnership will ensure local mothers have a convenient place to drop off their donated breastmilk to share with infants and children who need it the most.”

The milk bank relies on donations from healthy, lactating women who generously provide milk to help other babies. Interested donors are encouraged to email milkbank@ohiohealth.com or call 614-566-0630 to arrange a screening phone interview. To become a human milk donor, mothers must take part in a screening process to ensure the quality and safety of the milk.