SAN JOSE, CA — July 30, 2025 – 8:10 AM Eastern Time –  In recognition of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, Mothers’ Milk Bank California (MMBCA) is hosting 16 milk drives across California and Nevada—including 14 in-person events and 2 virtual drives—to make it easier for families to donate lifesaving breast milk and help meet the growing need for medically fragile infants.

National Breastfeeding Month is a time to elevate awareness, champion breastfeeding parents, and advance policies that foster supportive, breastfeeding-friendly environments. This year’s theme, “Forward Together,” is a powerful call to collective action urging communities, healthcare providers, and policymakers to unite in ensuring every parent receives the support they need to breastfeed successfully and, when able, donate their milk to help nourish babies in need.

The need for donor milk has never been greater. Following the passage of California’s Assembly Bill 3059, which expands equitable access to donor human milk for medically vulnerable infants, MMBCA has seen a 30% increase in demand across California. Milk drives are a powerful way to foster a culture of milk donation—helping meet the growing need for safe, pasteurized donor milk while also offering families a chance to connect, learn, and get pre-screened to become milk donors.

“Donor milk is a vital part of the breastfeeding support ecosystem—especially for babies in neonatal intensive care units who may not have access to their mother’s milk,” said Jennifer Benito-Kowalski, Chief Executive Officer of Mothers’ Milk Bank California. “When we make it easier for families to donate, we make it possible for more babies to thrive. We’re building a movement rooted in equity, access, and the collective power of milk donation.”

The World Health Organization recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, citing the vital nutrients and immunity-building properties of breast milk during this critical stage of development. Access to breast milk can shape a baby’s lifelong health trajectory. As an accredited member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), Mothers’ Milk Bank California (MMBCA) plays a leading role in collecting, pasteurizing, and distributing donor milk to hospitals and outpatient families across the West Coast and beyond. Milk drives are essential to expanding the donor base and ensuring a consistent, lifesaving supply of human milk.

Throughout August, MMBCA invites prospective and current milk donors to join a local or virtual milk drive—building community and helping to normalize milk donation as a natural and impactful extension of breastfeeding support.

For more information about milk drives near you or to register, visit MothersMilk.org. To access b-roll, images, or pre-recorded sound bites from donors and recipients, please visit our Newsroom and click on “Media Resources”.

Northern California Milk Drives

Central Valley Milk Drives

Southern California Milk Drives

Nevada Milk Drives

About Mothers’ Milk Bank California

Founded in 1974, Mothers’ Milk Bank California is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, pasteurized donor human milk to hospitals and families in need. As one of the oldest and largest milk banks in the country, MMBCA serves medically fragile infants across California and beyond through a growing network of hospital partnerships, collection centers, and generous community donors.

Contact: Nannette Miranda | [email protected] | (510) 646-1201