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25 Years of

Halton Baby-Friendly Initiative

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2003:

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First meetings of the breastfeeding subcommittee of HMICC and development of the first logic model as recommended by the Infant Feeding Study

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2004:

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Co-Chairs: Attie Sandink and Louise Giacobbo

Health Department Lead: Colleen Sigmundson

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    • Began as an independent arm of the Halton Maternal Infant Care Coalition (HMICC)
    • Began hosting World Breastfeeding Week events that continued annually

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World Breastfeeding Week

2004

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World Breastfeeding Week

2004

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World Breastfeeding Week

2004

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2005:

Official launch of Halton BFI held in Halton Region

Co-Chairs: Attie Sandink and Louise Giacobbo

Health Department Lead: Diana Kealey

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    • HBFI policy and consumer brochure developed
    • Health Department surveyed health care professionals in Halton re: their use of breastfeeding resources and their interest in BFI
    • “Haltonized” Toronto Public Health booklet Breastfeeding Your Baby and distributed to hospitals

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World Breastfeeding Week

2005

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World Breastfeeding Week

2005

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2006:

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Co-Chairs: Attie Sandink and Louise Giacobbo

Health Department Lead: Diana Kealey

Work Group Lead: Eileen Chuey

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    • We are a Breastfeeding Friendly Place poster developed and distributed

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World Breastfeeding Week

2006

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2007:

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Co-Chairs: Lyn Fountain and Louise Giacobbo

Health Department Coordinator: Eileen Chuey

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    • Workplace Toolkit developed
    • Consumer flyer developed
    • Display banner created
    • Hospitals joined HBFI

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Banner Display

2007

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2008:

Co-Chairs: Michelle Knoll and Sonya Doherty

Co-Treasurers: Louise Giacobbo and Lyn Fountain

Health Department Coordinator: Eileen Chuey

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    • First BFI Expo held in Halton with more than 100 attending
    • Decal “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” created

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Banner

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World Breastfeeding Week

2008

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2009:

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Co-Chairs: Sonya Doherty and Jean Kouba

Health Department Coordinator: Eileen Chuey

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    • Introduced UNICEF/WHO Courses:
      • Level 1 – 15 attendees
      • Update sessions – 17 attendees

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    • Halton Region Health Department BFI designated

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2010:

Co-Chairs: Sonya Doherty and Jean Kouba

Co-Treasurers: Kailee Corkum and Lenore Kilmartin

Health Department Coordinator: Eileen Chuey

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 55 attendees
      • Level 2 – 17 attendees
      • Update sessions – 53 attendees
    • Halton hospitals started working toward BFI accreditation
    • Second BFI Expo held in Halton, followed by a Capacity Building Workshop for health care providers
    • Community Supports handout developed with many updates since, also now on website

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World Breastfeeding Week

2010

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World Breastfeeding Week

2010

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World Breastfeeding Week

2010

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2011:

Co-Chairs: Jean Kouba and Rebecca Charron

Co-Treasurers: Kailee Corkum and Lenore Kilmartin

Health Department Coordinator: Eileen Chuey

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 37 attendees
      • Level 2 – 11 attendees
      • Update sessions – 74 attendees

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    • WHO Growth Charts distribution campaign to Halton physicians

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World Breastfeeding Week

2011

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2012:

Co-Chairs: Jean Kouba and Rebecca Charron

Treasurers: Lenore Kilmartin

Health Department Coordinator: Eileen Chuey

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 67 attendees
      • Level 2 – 30 attendees
      • Update sessions – 10 attendees
    • Skin to Skin and Importance of Colostrum posters created and distributed for posting in hospitals
    • Crib cards developed
    • Facebook page and Twitter accounts created

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Haltonized Crib Card

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World Breastfeeding Week

2012

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2013:

Co-Chairs: Rebecca Charron and Vikki Kidd

Treasurers: Lenore Kilmartin

Health Department Coordinator: Eileen Chuey & Anna West

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 66 attendees
      • Level 2 – 45 attendees
      • Update sessions – 7 attendees

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    • Halton Region Health Department due for BFI re-designation in 2014
    • Updated HBFI policy & Community policy

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2014:

Co-Chairs: Rebecca Charron & Vikki Kidd & Anita Arora

Treasurers: Anita Arora

Health Department Coordinator: Sue Gierszewski & Anna West

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 58attendees
      • Level 2 – 94 attendees
      • Update sessions – 12 attendees

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    • Skin-to-skin poster created
    • Community supports flyer redesigned
    • Crib cards redesigned and made gender neutral
    • Health Department working on re-designation

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2015:

Co-Chairs: Rebecca Charron & Anita Arora

Treasurers: Lori Barber

Health Department Coordinator: Anna West

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 60 attendees
      • Level 2 – 26 attendees
      • Update sessions – 0 attendees

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    • Baby-Friendly Spaces resource created
    • HBFI packages for HCP and organizations created

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2015 continued:

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    • Milk documentary shown at film.ca
    • WBW photo contest with Nursing Moms Project
    • CBW photo shoot at local breastfeeding groups
    • New indoor display developed
    • Skin-to-skin poster replaced with Health Department’s 3 Ways to Succeed at Breastfeeding

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Posters

2015

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Thank you for breastfeeding cards

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World Breastfeeding Week

2015

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World Breastfeeding Week

2015

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World Breastfeeding Week

2015

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World Breastfeeding Week

2015

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ROCK Drop-in 2015

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Spring Movie Event 2015

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week

2015

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International Day to Normalize Breastfeeding

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2016:

Co-Chairs: Rebecca Charron & Anita Arora

Treasurers: Lori Barber

Health Department Coordinator: Anna West

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 68 attendees
      • Level 2 – 34 attendees
      • Update sessions – 0 attendees

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    • Tigers documentary shown in partnership with Halton Green Screens
    • HBFI Instagram account created
    • Breastfeeding information for families moved from HBFI to Halton.ca/breastfeeding

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2016 continued:

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    • 1st annual WBW family picnic at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, Oakville
    • 1st annual CBW nature hike at Loin’s Valley Park, Oakville
    • Attended Oakville Children’s Festival
    • New promotional materials (bandaid dispensers, notepads, sticky notes, pens)
    • BFI Re-designation for Health Department
    • HBFI website redesigned to focus on supports, education and baby-friendly spaces
    • Social media feeds added to website

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Spring Movie Event

2016

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Spring Movie Event

2016

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Spring Movie Event

2016

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week

2016

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week

2016

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week

2016

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week

2016

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World Breastfeeding Week

2016

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World Breastfeeding Week

2016

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World Breastfeeding Week

2016

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2017:

Co-Chairs: Anita Arora & Sonya Myles

Treasurers: Lori Barber

Health Department Coordinator: Anna West

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 60 attendees
      • Level 2 – 39 attendees
      • Update sessions – 13 attendees

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    • Microbirth documentary shown in partnership with Halton Green Screens
    • Lifesize breastfeeding cutouts created

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2017 continued:

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    • Cutouts displayed at hospitals & BPL for WBW and at hospitals and OPL for CBW
    • Attended Oakville and Burlington Children’s Festivals
    • 2nd annual WBW family picnic at Lowville Park, Burlington
    • 2nd annual CBW nature hike at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Milton
    • Optimized Cranio-Facial Growth and Development PD event
    • New professional indoor display created
    • Notebooks created in collaboration with Nursing Moms Project
    • Hand Expression of breastmilk info cards created and Health Dept made into kits
    • Thank you for Breastfeeding in Public cards created
    • HBFI interviewed by Cogeco TV and the Independent Free Press newspaper
    • Annual insurance policy obtained

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2017 continued:

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    • Cutouts displayed at hospitals & BPL for WBW and at hospitals and OPL for CBW
    • Attended Oakville and Burlington Children’s Festivals
    • 2nd annual WBW family picnic at Lowville Park, Burlington
    • 2nd annual CBW nature hike at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Milton
    • Optimized Cranio-Facial Growth and Development PD event
    • New professional indoor display created

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2017 continued:

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    • Notebooks created in collaboration with Nursing Moms Project
    • Hand Expression of breastmilk info cards created and Health Dept made into kits
    • Thank you for Breastfeeding in Public cards created
    • HBFI interviewed by Cogeco TV and the Independent Free Press newspaper
    • Annual insurance policy obtained

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Hand Expression Kits

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Over 26,000 distributed since 2018

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Life Sized Cut Outs

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Life Sized Cut Outs

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Life Sized Cut Outs

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Life Sized Cut Outs

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Life Sized Cut Outs

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World Breastfeeding Week

2017

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Spring Movie Event 2017

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week:

Baby Wearing Hike

2017

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2017

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2017

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2017

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2017

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2018:

Co-Chairs: Anita Arora & Sonya Myles

Treasurers: Neetu Vyas

Health Department Coordinator: Anna West & Sue Gierszewski

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 61 attendees
      • Level 2 – 35 attendees
      • Update sessions – 11 attendees
      • Ethics- 11 attendees

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    • New exec positions added – Volunteer Coordinator and Display Coordinator
    • Ethics education course added

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2018- continued

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    • 2 education grants given to ROCK/EarlyON Burlington
    • Hospital lunch and learns with Kathy Venter piloted at MDH
    • CBW collaboration between Halton Healthcare, Health Department and HBFI
    • Lifesize cutouts at MPL, HHPL, BPL Alton and Health Department offices for WBW
    • Lifesize cutouts at hospitals for CBW
    • How to Make Your Medical Office Baby-Friendly checklist created
    • FHT and midwife outreach
    • Baby-Friendly Public Spaces volunteer program initiated

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2018- continued

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    • The Milky Way documentary shown in partnership with Halton Green Screens
    • Attended HMC Multiculturalism Day for the first time
    • Attended Oakville and Burlington Children’s Festivals
    • Interviewed at Burlington Children’s Festival by Karina Gould, MP for Burlington
    • 3rd annual WBW family picnic at Lion’s Valley Park, Oakville
    • 3rd annual CBW nature hike at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Milton

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2018- continued

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    • Community-wide breastfeeding volunteer appreciation event
    • HBFI began supplying hand expression kits to entire community (~5000 given out)
    • Outdoor display created
    • You are Welcome to Breastfeed Here posters created
    • Breastfeeding Welcome Here stickers created
    • Breastfeeding wallet cards created

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Lunch and Learn 2018

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Breastfeeding Welcome Here Posters

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World Breastfeeding Week

2018

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Baby-Friendly Public Spaces Volunteer Program

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week

2018

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Burlington Children’s Festival

2018

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Burlington Children’s Festival

2018

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Oakville Children’s Festival

2018

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Halton Multicultural Event

2018

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2018

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2018

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2018

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2018

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Oakville Children’s Festival

2018

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HBFI Spring Movie Night

2018

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Halton Multicultural Fair

2018

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week- Baby Wearing Hike

2018

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week-

Baby Wearing Hike

2018

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week:

Baby Wearing Hike

2018

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2019:

Co-Chairs: Lori Barber & Hayley Bennison

Treasurers: Neetu Vyas

Health Department Coordinator: Anna West & Sue Gierszewski

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 57 attendees
      • Level 2 – 41 attendees
      • Update sessions – 14 attendees
      • Ethics- 5 attendees

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    • Hot Topics added to Monthly General Meetings to attempt to increase attendance

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2019 continued:

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    • 4th annual WBW family picnic at Milton Sports Centre, Milton, 311 attendees, 157 adults and 154 children
    • 4th annual CBW nature hike at Robert Edmonson Conservation Area, Milton, Attended by 44 adults and 40 children and 16 volunteers
    • Attended HMC Multiculturalism Day
    • Attended Oakville and Burlington Children’s Festivals
    • CBW collaboration between Halton Healthcare, Health Department and HBFI

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2019 continued:

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    • Baby-Friendly Public Spaces - 8 local businesses were visited and 8 agreed to baby-friendly practices.
    • Created “Knowledge Exchange Event video”
    • Approximately 4000 Hand Expression Kits were distributed
    • HBFI Business Cards and holders were distributed to hospitals and health department and also used at events
    • Buttons and stickers created as giveaways for staff and event attendees in celebration of Canadian and World Breastfeeding Weeks
    • Continued social media presence on twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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Halton Multicultural Event

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2019

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week:

Baby Wearing Hike

2019

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week:

Baby Wearing Hike

2019

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Halton Multicultural

Fair 2019

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Halton Multicultural

Fair 2019

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Oakville Children’s Festival

2019

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2020:

Co-Chairs: Lori Barber & Hayley Bennison

Treasurers: Neetu Vyas

Health Department Coordinator: Anna West & Sue Gierszewski

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March 2020 was the start of many widespread lockdowns due to the Covid Pandemic

    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 19 attendees in person- 7 attendees virtual

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    • General Meetings – only in January and February
    • CBW collaboration between Halton Healthcare, Health Department and HBFI extended to December 2021 but limited resources due to pandemic

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2020 Continued:

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    • Baby-Friendly Public Spaces and events were cancelled due to pandemic
    • Approximately 425 Hand Expression Kits were distributed
    • Crib cards with HBFI information on the back used at all Halton healthcare locations
    • Continued social media presence on twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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2021:

Co-Chairs: Lori Barber & Hayley Bennison

Treasurers: Neetu Vyas

Health Department Coordinator: Anna West & Sue Gierszewski

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    • Approximately 3000 Hand Expression Kits were distributed
    • Continued social media presence on twitter, Facebook and Instagram
    • Website completely revamped and moved to WIX, went live September 2021

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2022:

Co-Chairs: Lori Barber & Catherine Collinson

Treasurers: Neetu Vyas

Health Department Coordinator: Sue Gierszewski

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 9 attendees
      • Level 2 – 30 attendees
      • Formula Fed Infant- 6 attendees

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    • A lot of new faces were added to the executive
    • Catherine Collinson was the recipient of the 2022 Volunteer Halton Impact Award

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2022 Continued:

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    • General Meetings – moved to virtual meetings and continued with hot topics
    • Baby-Friendly Public Spaces and events were cancelled due to pandemic
    • Approximately 3190 Hand Expression Kits were distributed
    • CBW collaboration between Halton Healthcare, Health Department and HBFI focussed on collaborative social media
    • Continued social media presence on twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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2023:

Co-Chairs: Catherine Collinson

Treasurers: Neetu Vyas

Health Department Coordinator: Victoria Greer & Carolyn Wilkie

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 4 classes
      • Level 2- 5 classes
      • 145 attendees

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    • General Meetings (virtual) –continued with hot topics
    • Attended Kerr Festival in Oakville
    • CBW nature hike at Kelso Conservation Area, Milton

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2023 continued:

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    • Developed and prioritized an Annual Communications Plan to create goals and objectives for HBFI in 2023 – Re-engage external stakeholders, Promote discussion/Education in the local community, Re-engage our executive members
    • Approximately 3751 Hand Expression Kits were distributed
    • CBW collaboration between Halton Healthcare, Health Department and HBFI focused on collaborative social media
    • Social media presence substantially increased on Facebook and Instagram due to the new Social Media Plan

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2023 continued:

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    • Key Deliverables:
    • Develop an annual Social Media Plan including: Content development, Creating engaging / relevant campaigns, Timed / Scheduled events and promotions
    • Continue targeted volunteering recruitment
    • Solicit feedback and input from our stakeholders to ensure it is relevant to our goals
    • Have continued engagement and presence in the community through: General Meetings, In-Person Events, Education Courses

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2022 Volunteer Halton Award Ceremony

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2022 Volunteer Halton Award Ceremony

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week:

Baby Wearing Hike

2023

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week:

Baby Wearing Hike

2023

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week:

Baby Wearing Hike

2023

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2024:

Co-Chairs: Catherine Collinson

Treasurers: Neetu Vyas

Health Department Coordinator: Victoria Greer & Carolyn Wilkie

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    • UNICEF/WHO Courses
      • Level 1 – 4 classes
      • Level 2- 5 classes

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    • Welcomed Executive Committee members from each hospital and one for the community
    • General Meetings (virtual) –continued with hot topics
    • Movie Night showing of “Milky Way” in Oakville
    • WBW Picnic/ Fun Fair at Milton Sports Centre, Milton

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2024 Continued:

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    • CBW nature hike at Kelso Conservation Area, Milton
    • Approximately 4451 Hand Expression Kits were distributed
    • Social media presence very active on Facebook and Instagram due to the Social Media Plan
    • New HBFI Facebook page was created as there were issues with the administration of the old page
    • New Facebook group created for the LC Community to encourage discussion and collaboration

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2024 Continued:

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    • Now that we can hold in-person events, new swag and new business cards were ordered to be given away as promotion of HBFI
    • QR codes leading people to the website were added to business cards, HE kit bag labels and posters for events
    • All displays, event supplies, tables, swag etc were moved to a storage locker in Oakville, all executive have access to the locker

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2024

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2024

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2024

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World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2024

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week Hike

2024

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week Hike

2024

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week Hike

2024

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Canadian Breastfeeding Week Hike

2024

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Movie Event

2024

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Movie Event

2024

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Baby-Friendly

Public Spaces

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Older Adult Volunteer Recruitment

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Display

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Display

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The Truth About Breastfeeding Comic

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The Truth About Breastfeeding Comic

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HBFI Members

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HBFI Members

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HBFI Members

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HBFI Members

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SWAG

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Stickers

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Thank You