10/15/2024
La Leche League of Columbia will no longer be holding our monthly meetings. Please read below for a letter from all of the current volunteer leaders to our beloved breastfeeding parents.
Dear current and former breastfeeding families of mid-Missouri,
As La Leche League (LLL) volunteers, it has been an incredible honor to support you on your breastfeeding journeys. Together, we have celebrated successes, worked through challenges, and found strength in each other. Our community has been a source of warmth and support for so many families over the years, fostering lasting connections as we shared tips, laughter, and tears while our children played and grew alongside one another.
For decades, LLL of Columbia has proudly relied on evidence-based research to help families overcome breastfeeding obstacles and reach their goals. However, in recent years, the landscape of breastfeeding support has changed. The pandemic reshaped how we gather and connect, while shifting priorities and the pressures of inflation have increased the demands on many parents, pulling them away from time with their young children.
As a result, attendance at our LLL meetings has steadily declined, and despite our best efforts, we are no longer able to continue offering monthly meetings. Though we remain a nonprofit organization in the community, the combination of fewer volunteers and a reduced demand for in-person and online meetings means we will focus our remaining resources on meeting breastfeeding families where they are—potentially through partnerships with other organizations.
We are profoundly grateful to everyone who attended meetings, donated, shared our mission with others, called our hotline, or sent messages of support. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives and your parenting journeys. As we take this step, we have one final request: please continue to support and encourage breastfeeding whenever you can. It remains the most natural way to nourish a baby, offering countless benefits for both child and parent.
We will keep our page, group and nonprofit active for now in hopes that we can continue to connect with families and direct them to the many resources our community offers.
With gratitude and warmth,
La Leche League of Mid-Missouri Volunteers
