Even though more and more moms are choosing to breastfeed their babies, some mothers who want to simply can’t. Whether it be a result of taking medication post-birth or their supply is low during their infant’s early months of life, it can be a super stressful time for a mother who wants to provide milk for their new child and find themselves unable to do so 😔.
Luckily there’s support available in the New York City area for these mothers (and babies) in need. The New York Milk Bank makes sure mothers who need milk have it, and they go to great lengths to make this happen. That’s why they’re vinas we ❤️.
Julie Bouchet-Horowitz, the Executive Director of the New York Milk Bank, shared recently with the New York Post that there are many mothers who have too much milk can go through a screening process with the NY Milk Bank to donate their excess to help others. If accepted, the milk is pasteurized and distributed to adorable babies in need!
“I always see these motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic while we’re stuck,” Bouchet-Horowitz says. “I thought, what if the milk has to get to a hospital right away, they’re out. This baby needs to eat. Maybe we should use a motorcycle rider to bring the milk in and out of Manhattan.”
This is where the badass Sirens Women’s Motorcycle Club steps in.
When the club was approached to help out the NY Milk Bank, President Jen Baquial said, “It was pretty unanimous that we wanted to help out.” Founding member Cheryl is proud her club is helping such a great cause. “We are uniquely positioned to do the job,” she says. “We’re on our nimble bikes that can get us there faster.” SO COOL.
The Sirens MC began in 1986 and is the oldest, largest women’s-only club in NYC. The women who founded Sirens sought to be a part of a club where they wouldn’t be property of a man who rode, especially when they loved riding bikes as much as the men around them. So, these badass ladies placed an ad in the Village Voice to find others who wanted the same thing and shortly after held their first meeting. As they say, the rest is history.
The club is a staple of the NYC Pride Parade each year and proudly boast that their club is for “any woman, any bike” and has members of all ages, races, professions, sexual orientation, personal style, and riding level. The requirements? According to a recent Facebook post by the club: “…any woman motorcyclist who shares the same love and passion for riding, has a strong and honorable character, shares the desire to be part of something bigger than any individual in the group, and understands that we stand up for what we believe in, the community we strive to serve, and the bond of sisterhood we hold for the women who have EARNED, not bought, the Sirens patch on her back.”
We love what these vinas are accomplishing by banding together! Have a woman or organization you think we should feature next? Tell us in the comments!
VINAZINE 