Every mother deserves excellent care—before, during, and after giving birth.
Having professional support—like a doula, a night nurse, or access to reliable childcare—makes all the difference in the world to allow mothers to have a healthy delivery, recover from childbirth, get adequate sleep, make a good living, and take excellent care of themselves and their babies.
Unfortunately, not every woman receives the support that she needs.
Due to economic inequity and systemic racism, Black mothers tend to receive the worst care of all. Black women are 3 to 5 times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. More than 60% of these deaths are preventable.
Once they have children, Black mothers also struggle to find affordable childcare and employment with paid family leave. Four in ten Black women have jobs with unpredictable work schedules. This creates an additional challenge when coordinating childcare. And Black working moms are also over-represented in service industry jobs, which often do not provide paid sick leave, paid family leave, or childcare for employees.
And, because Black women tend to earn significantly less than their white colleagues, they’re often financially stressed and unable to pay for the services they need most.
At her most vulnerable moment, when she needs support most of all, we are failing Black mothers.
This is unacceptable and must change. There is no excuse for this to continue.
This is why The Hello Seven Foundation exists.
The Hello Seven Foundation provides vouchers for life-changing and life-saving services—namely, doulas, night nurses, and childcare—to Black birthing people in need.
We do this so Black families can thrive.
Tell a friend about The Hello Seven Foundation.
Encourage them to donate.
Are you a Black mother or mom-to-be? Would you like the support of a birth doula, a midwife, a postpartum doula, a night nurse, or reliable childcare?
Apply now to your name to the waitlist.
Black women are 3 to 5 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women, Latinx women, or any other group.
More than 60% of pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented.
Black babies are 2 times more likely to die before their 1st birthday, compared to white babies.
Black patients are 22% less likely than white patients to receive pain medication when they need it.
Doulas make a difference. When mothers have a doula, they are 4 times less likely to have a baby with low birth weight, and 2 times less likely to experience a birth complication.
Income disparity makes it difficult for Black mothers to afford birth and childcare services. Black families have a median household income $41,000 compared to white families at $70,000.
4 in 10 Black women have jobs with unpredictable work schedules. This creates an additional challenge when coordinating childcare.
Black women are paid 37% less than white men and 20% less than white women, despite asking for raises and promotions at the same rate as their white colleagues.
Black working moms are over-represented in service industry jobs, which often do not provide paid sick leave, paid family leave, or childcare for employees.
The Hello Seven Foundation provides vouchers for Black mothers to access:
We are currently not accepting applications until 2023. Click here to add your name to the waiting list.
We offer support to Black mothers and mothers-to-be based in the United States. This includes Black transpeople and Black non-binary parents.
Our immediate goal is to provide funding to a minimum of 10 Black mothers and their children by the end of 2021. In the future, we hope to provide funding for doulas, night nurses and childcare to thousands of Black mothers and non-binary parents
We know that providing this kind of financial support will save lives, allow Black women to fully recover from childbirth faster and provide a safe and healthy foundation for Black children.
As a Black woman and mother of four kids, three of whom I birthed, I know firsthand that becoming a mother is an incredible, joyful adventure.
It’s also a journey that can be costly, stressful, and in some cases, life-threatening, especially if you are a Black woman or non-binary parent.
During all three of my pregnancies, I faced serious complications. During labor with my first child, my nurse laughed at me when I shared my birth plan with her. And I had a team of nurses barking orders at me, contorting my body in a way that made labor more painful and challenging. I felt ignored, confused, and powerless. It was a traumatizing experience that I thought was normal and acceptable. It is not.
During labor with my third child, I had a doula, and it made a world of difference. My baby was in a posterior position and through the guidance and support of my doula and midwife, I was able to give birth vaginally without injury to me or my baby. Despite the fact that one of my doctors was disrespectful to me during labor and ignored my needs and requests.
After giving birth, I had a lengthy bout of postpartum depression. It was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. Thankfully, a friend recommended hiring a night nurse. We had a nurse named Rhonda that came to our house several times per week so that I never went more than two days without a good night’s sleep. Having a night nurse also provided major relief to the intense anxiety and depression I experienced during the first 6 months after giving birth.
Fortunately, I made a full recovery and felt well supported, mainly because I had the financial means to get help. Of course, this is not the case for all Black women.
I believe that every Black mother should have a doula by her side, if she wants one, during labor. I believe that every Black mother should have access to a night nurse to provide nighttime support and allow her to recover from childbirth. I believe every working Black mother should have access to a safe childcare provider she can trust.
This is why I started The Hello Seven Foundation.
By making a contribution to the Hello Seven Foundation, you are making a powerful impact on a mother’s life, and the life of her children.
Make a contribution today in your name or in honor of someone you love.
Because of your generosity, a Black mother will have a safe labor and delivery, be supported postpartum, and have access to earn a living with the support of safe, trustworthy childcare.
My company, Hello Seven Inc., has made an initial contribution of $50,000 to The Hello SevenFoundation. We invite you to donate whatever you can. Together, we can easily double that amount.
We can’t wait around passively, hoping for systems to improve.
We have to take matters into our hands and create change now.
xo
Rachel
Rachel Rodgers and the Hello Seven Team.
Yes! The Hello Seven Foundation is a non-profit organization. Our EIN number is 87-3248558.
Yes, your donation to the Hello Seven Foundation is tax deductible.
100%. At this time, Hello Seven Inc. is funding all of the administrative costs of running the organization. This means we are able to pass on 100% of funds from donors like you directly to the Black mothers we are here to serve.
The current round of vouchers is closed. Voucher applications will open again in 2023. Click here to add yourself to the waiting list.
Help us spread the word by sharing this link with your friends and sharing about the Foundation on social media. Here, you can also start your own fundraiser at work, with your clients, and among friends and family. Lastly, you could become a corporate donor and donate a portion of your company’s funds to the foundation annually. Send us a message to get started.
Yes. We’d love to spread the word about our mission. Please contact us at hello@helloseven.org.
If you have a question that is not addressed here, please email us at hello@helloseven.org. If you have a question about donations or fundraising, please email us at giving@helloseven.org.
HELLO SEVEN FOUNDATION, A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION (EIN# 87-3248558), IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS. PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR ACCOUNTANT TO DETERMINE IF YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION AND A COPY OF ITS LICENSE ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE SOLICITATION LICENSING BRANCH AT 919-814-5400. THE LICENSE IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE STATE.
