Every mother deserves excellent care—before, during, and after giving birth.
Having professional support—like a doula, night nurse, and 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, 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 cash for life-changing and life-saving services—namely, doulas, night nurses, and childcare—to Black mothers in need.
We do this so Black mothers and their children can thrive.
Tell a friend about The Hello
Seven Foundation.
Encourage them to donate.
Black women are 3 to 5 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women, Latinx women, or any other group.
SOURCE: BLACK BIRTH EQUITY FUND
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.
SOURCE: LEAN IN
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.
SOURCE: THE FULLER PROJECT
The Hello Seven Foundation provides cash for Black mothers to have access to:
When you apply, tell us which services you need.
If your application is approved, The Hello SevenFoundation will provide you with funds to cover the costs of hiring a doula, night nurse and/or other forms of childcare up to $10,000.
We offer funding to Black mothers and mothers-to-be based in the United States. This includes Black transwomen and Black non-binary parents.
We offer services to women based in the United States.
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 and 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 in 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.
The Hello Seven Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations. Our Tax Exempt ID is: 87-3248558
Yes. We’d love to spread the word about the organization. Please contact our publicist, Jessie Reda, with any PR requests. Jessie can be reached at jessica@shpny.com.
