The Pebbles of Hope “Adopt a Family” program has launched for Prematurity Awareness Month

This November 2016, Pebbles of Hope has launched its “Adopt A Family” program to provide supplies and mentoring to low-income families with premature babies in the NICU.  In collaboration with hospitals in the Washington, DC area and other parts of Virginia and Maryland, we identify families in need who are preparing to bring home their babies from the NICU for the first time, deliver supplies to their home and match them with a mentor who can advise them on topics such as feeding and nutrition, preparing the home, and safe sleep practices.

Last week we delivered over $700 worth of supplies to the first participant in the program — a single mom whose baby was being discharged after a 2 month stay in the hospital.  We will continue to accept applications for additional participants through our hospital partners for as long as supplies are available.

We’d like to thank Buy Buy Baby for becoming our first retail partner and donating all the baby supplies that families receive through this program.  Already we have received over $7,000 worth of goods, and we plan to continue receiving and distributing items to families through this partnership and through other retail partners we identify over time.

Pebbles of Hope receives grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to launch a pilot study of its Thrive Guide nutrition program for parents of premature babies

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has awarded a $58,400 grant to Pebbles of Hope to conduct a pilot study to demonstrate how parent education by way of an interactive course for parents of premature infants in underserved communities leads to improvements in infant care and nutrition.  For this study, Pebbles of Hope will collaborate with several NICUs throughout the country over the course of one year to test the effectiveness of our interactive tutorial on preemie nutrition with an estimated 200 participants.

The Pebbles of Hope Thrive Guide is an interactive course – available online, on CD-ROM and via mobile devices – provided free-of-charge to parents and caregivers of premature infants in under-served areas to give them the information they need to provide the best care for their babies. This tool includes video, animation, audio and text to convey key concepts. The first module of the program, which will be piloted in this study, focuses on nutrition and covers topics such as breastfeeding, expressing breast milk, nutrition for lactating mothers and Kangaroo Care as a means to stimulate milk production.  The course can be accessed here.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

We are excited to have been selected for this award, and we thank WKKF for their support of Pebbles of Hope!

Pebbles of Hope Virtual Walkathon Raises over $13,000

Earlier this week, on November 30, 2015, Pebbles of Hope concluded its month-long 5K virtual walkathon to commemorate Prematurity Awareness Month.  For thirty days throughout the month of November, over 50 participants in 20 cities across 5 countries walked anytime, anywhere in support of Pebbles of Hope and premature babies around the world.  The 5K event was powered by the Charity Footprints mobile app which allows users to set distance goals, solicit pledges from sponsors, and track workouts using the GPS technology on their mobile devices.

In total, participants walked collectively over 150 miles and raised over $13,000.  All funds received will go towards a pilot study of Pebbles of Hope’s Thrive Guide – an interactive resource with expert information, instructional videos, and parent testimonials to educate parents and caregivers of premature babies in underserved areas on the steps they can take to help the smallest babies survive and thrive – in collaboration with NICUs across the country.

Pebbles of Hope would like to thank all of the event participants and supporters for helping us pull off a successful global event.  In particular, we’d like to thank our event sponsors MidCap Financial, Allergy Partners of Fredericksburg, Stork LLC, Linkous & Associates and Asta Corporate Resource Solutions, Inc. for their support.

Help Parents of Premature Babies by Volunteering with Pebbles of Hope

Pebbles of Hope has a number of volunteer opportunities available for individuals eager to support our mission of helping premature babies thrive through parent education.  Currently, we are seeking volunteers with the following backgrounds and specializations:

• Digital Marketing
• Copywriting
• Public Relations
• Graphic Design
• Research
• Event Planning
• Grant Writing
• Fundraising

There are a number of ways our volunteers can help.  Some existing opportunities include:

1. Social Media Management

We are seeking professionals that can help us maintain and expand our social media presence.  Volunteers will manage posts, engage with our followers and report on social media performance.

2. Marketing

We need assistance with developing printed and digital marketing materials to raise awareness about our mission and organization.  A team of copywriters, designers, PR specialists and marketers is needed to help us with these activities.

3. Fundraising and Outreach

We need volunteers to help us plan and execute our annual virtual walkathon.  This involves hosting local walks in your city, distributing flyers and reaching out to potential sponsors.  We also need individuals who can conduct research on potential donors and funding organizations and assist with preparing grant proposals.

If you are interested in supporting us in one or more of the above roles, and have relevant experience, email us at jobs@pebblesofhope.org to apply.

Pebbles of Hope is Seeking Medical Professional Volunteers to Expand Its Services for Parents of Premature Babies

Several opportunities exist for healthcare professionals knowledgeable about the health needs and challenges of premature babies to support the programs of Pebbles of Hope.  Currently, we are seeking volunteers with the following backgrounds and specializations:

• Pediatrics
• Neonatology
• Perinatology
• Obstetrics
• Allergy & Immunology
• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Pediatric Neurology
• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Neonatal Nursing
• Pediatric Nutrition
• Lactation Consulting
• Pediatric Developmental Specialists
• Pediatric Occupational Therapy
• Pediatric Feeding & Speech Therapy

There are a number of ways our volunteers can help.  Existing opportunities include:

1. Conducting Webinars

We are regularly seeking experts to host webinar sessions on topics of interest to preemie parents.  Sessions typically last 45 minutes and include 10-15 minutes of Q&A.  All sessions are recorded and then made available on our website for future viewing.

2. “Ask the Expert”

We have recently completed development of a mobile app that includes an “Ask the Expert” feature.  Users can submit questions via the app on a topic related to the health of their preemie, and these questions are then forwarded to a group of experts with the relevant specialization.  Volunteers should be willing to commit to spending at least 30 minutes per week responding to parent questions.

3. Guest Bloggers

The Pebbles of Hope blog is regularly updated with articles and news of interest to parents and caregivers of preemies.  We are seeking experts to serve as guest bloggers who will submit articles relating to their area of expertise.  Articles submitted should range from 500 – 1200 words in length.  Experts can make article submissions one-time or on an ongoing basis.

4. Expert Interviews

We periodically conduct video interviews with experts as an educational tool for preemie parents.  These videos are professionally recorded at the expert’s office and may be incorporated into one of our digital courses or made available on our website for viewing.  At this time, we are only able to conduct video interviews with experts in the Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD or Fredericksburg, VA metro areas.

5. Content Reviewers

As we continue to develop digital courses, videos and other educational materials for preemie parents, we need experts who can support us by reviewing and providing feedback on items such as course storyboards, scripts, supplementary materials and articles.

If you are interested in supporting us in one or more of the above roles, and have the required experience, complete a brief sign-up form below or click here:

http://bit.ly/PebblesExpertSignUp

All experts that sign up to volunteer will be subject to verification of their credentials and approval before being able to serve in any capacity.

Our Thrive Guide for Preemie Parents Has Launched

Pebbles of Hope launched this week the first module of its Thrive Guide — the first ever interactive course, offered free of charge, designed to educate parents of preemies on critical care practices for their babies.  The first module of the Thrive Guide, which focuses on nutrition, breastfeeding and Kangaroo Care – skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby – includes expert information, instructional videos and parent testimonials to help parents give the world’s smallest babies the best foundation for a healthy life.

The online version of the Thrive Guide will be hosted on the Udemy online learning platform.  Additional versions of the course will be made available in offline formats for individuals without access to an Internet connection.  Already, over 200 individuals have signed up to use this important resource, with new users signing up every day.

All content in the course has been reviewed and approved by the Pebbles of Hope expert advisory panel of doctors, neonatal nurses and pediatric nutritionists.  Additional input and resources have been provided by La Leche League USA.  The course will be distributed to parents worldwide through partnerships with hospitals and medical professionals, with special attention given to enrolling individuals in the course that live in underserved areas such as rural communities and low-income urban neighborhoods.

Over time, Pebbles of Hope plans to expand the Thrive Guide to include additional modules covering topics such as infection prevention, managing respiratory challenges and methods for parents to stimulate the healthy development of their little ones.  This resource will eventually be translated into multiple languages for international distribution and bundled with additional complementary services for parents, including a companion mobile app to be launched in Spring 2015 and a mentoring program to be launched in Summer 2015.

To learn more about the Thrive Guide or to sign up for the course, visit https://www.pebblesofhope.org/current-programs.

Pebbles of Hope was selected to receive the Udemy Social Innovation Grant

On September 16, 2014, Pebbles of Hope was awarded a Social Innovation grant from Udemy, Inc. The grant is awarded in the amount of $2,500 for the creation of the first module of the Pebbles of Hope Thrive Guide for parents of premature babies in underserved areas. The Thrive Guide will be an interactive tutorial – to be made available online through Udemy’s e-learning platform, on CD-ROM and via mobile devices — for mothers of premature babies in underserved areas to learn the techniques for providing effective care and promoting the proper development of their babies. This course will include instructional videos and detailed suggestions to guide parents in the care of their premature babies. The first module of the Thrive Guide will cover nutrition, breastfeeding and Kangaroo Care – skin -to-skin contact between mother and baby – and is expected to launch in early 2015. This grant will help cover some of the costs of developing the course content and videos. Read More

Pebbles of Hope is developing a Thrive Guide for parents of preemies in underserved areas

Pebbles of Hope is building a “Thrive Guide” to help parents of preemies in underserved areas learn the techniques to provide the best care for their babies. The Thrive Guide will be an interactive tutorial – to be made available online, on CD-ROM and via mobile devices — for mothers of premature babies in underserved areas to learn the techniques for providing effective care and promoting the proper development of their babies. This course will include instructional videos and detailed suggestions to guide parents in the care of their premature babies. The first module of the Thrive Guide will cover nutrition, breastfeeding and Kangaroo Care – skin -to-skin contact between mother and baby – and is expected to launch in early 2015. Read More