A milk depot is a convenient collection site for approved donors to drop off their milk by appointment only. A milk depot is responsible for storing and shipping a donor's milk to the New York Milk Bank.

Milk donors are screened for health concerns and communicable disease. All donors must meet the following basic requirements:

*In good health and able to breastfeed, with a surplus of milk.

*No use of nicotine products or regular use of milk enhancing herbs, including fenugreek or blessed thistle.

*Minimal use of medications.

*Willing to undergo a thorough health history screening and get a free blood test for communicable diseases.

*Able to donate at least 100 oz. to 150 oz. of milk, unless you are a bereaved mother, in which case we will gladly accept any size donation.

Testing positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), HTLV (Human T-lymphocytic Virus), Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or Syphilis.

Personal history of Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease, and Kaposi Sarcoma

You or your sexual partner is at risk for HIV.

Use of recreational and illegal drugs.

Use of any tobacco products.

Received a blood transfusion or an organ or tissue transplant in the last 6 months.

Consumes more than 2 ounces of alcohol per day.

Lived in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Gibraltar, or the Falkland Islands for more than 3 months from 1980 to 1996 or lived in France or Ireland for more than 5 years from 1980 to the present day.

The New York Milk Bank is a non-profit milk bank that adheres to the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) guidelines to provide safe pasteurized milk from carefully screened donors to New York’s fragile and sick infants, thus improving their potential to survive and thrive.

I want to build a milk bank so that the leadership is reflective of my community and the communities that I serve. At this point there is no BIPOC led milk bank in the entire country. I want to change that. BIPOC families also have a higher admission rate into the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) but they are less likely to receive life saving donor milk even if their hospital has a donor milk program. Too many disparities exist in access to and donating of human milk. I plan to do something about that. I hope you will help.