Some companies go above and beyond giving to their customers and supporting families. Motherlove Herbal Company was started by herbalist Kathryn Higgins out of a desire to help moms and families. Her vision has expanded to include a non-profit private foundation The Nurturing Life Foundation. Read this interview with the Motherlove founder to learn more about how she is nurturing life, families, and the earth through her company. Continuing the trend of giving nurturing support, Motherlove Herbal Company is also giving away a Nurturing Life Gift Box to 3 winners. I’m so grateful for the support of Motherlove for TLB and the friendship and encouragement of Kathryn.
TLB: How did the Nurturing Life Foundation come about?
Kathryn: The Nurturing Life Foundation is a non-profit, private foundation funded by Motherlove Herbal Company. When I founded Motherlove over 20 years ago, I knew that I wanted the company to give back. As part of our 15-year anniversary celebration, we were able to found the Nurturing Life Foundation as a way to do that.
TLB: I’m a huge fan of the Nurturing Life Foundation, can you give me a brief overview?
Kathryn: The name of the Nurturing Life Foundation comes from Motherlove’s tagline, Nurturing Life. That sums up what Motherlove is all about. We believe in the healing strength of Mother Earth and the wisdom of our bodies, as well as our responsibility to nurture Mother Earth. Our products are based on herbs and formulated for the pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding period in a woman’s life – precisely when she is nurturing life. Breastfeeding is truly the nurturing of life.
It’s the nurturing of the mother, her nurturing of the baby and our need to nurture Mother Earth that guide Motherlove in our day-to-day operations.
TLB: What does the Nurturing Life Foundation do?
Kathryn: The mission of The Nurturing Life Foundation is to promote breastfeeding and support mothers in need, as well as to create opportunities for children. We do that by donating 10% of every Motherlove product purchase to the Nurturing Life Foundation, who then uses that money to support organizations that work with breastfeeding moms and/or children in need.
One organization doing amazing work is BELLAS, which stands for Breastfeeding, Encouragement, Learning, Liaison, and Support. This program is a resource for low income, minority and teen moms who often lack the resources to obtain lactation assistance.
We also work with the Breastfeeding Resource Center, a community resource center that provides moms with expert clinical and educational breastfeeding resources. They work with local hospitals, educate moms at local events about the importance of breastfeeding and help moms with every stage of breastfeeding with free support classes and IBCLC support where payment is income-based.
Other organizations we are privileged to work with include Realities for Children and Mountain Park Environmental Center, both of which work with local kids.
TLB: What is one of your favorite stories connected to the Nurturing Life Foundation?
Kathryn: There are so many. Close to my heart are the stories about children who are overcoming life circumstances that should never happen to any child. Learning about these kids and being able to help is a remarkable experience.
Through our work with Realities for Children and their Triumph Awards, The Nurturing Life Foundation has been able to award full college scholarships to youth who would otherwise receive no support to get an education. These are young people who have overcome childhood abuse, but also triumphed over their situation academically, socially and personally.
A sister program to the Triumph Awards, the Keeping Dreams Alive program works with local agencies to identify children between the ages of 6-15 who are living in situations that might kill their dreams for a different future for themselves. The Nurturing Life Foundation participates in giving these children something tangible for their dream today.
One of the programs we support that is especially important to me is the Birds and Bees, Flowers and Trees, a camping experience for girls ages 12-15, created by the Mountain Park Environmental Center. Using a blend of sex education and nature education, this program empowers girls to be comfortable and knowledgeable about their bodies and the world around them in order to make healthy choices, care for the environment, and have thoughtful relationships.
TLB: How can others support the Nurturing Life Foundation?
Kathryn: Every time someone buys a Motherlove product, they are supporting the Nurturing Life Foundation. And by reading the descriptions of the non-profits that we support on the Nurturing Life Foundation’s website and the links to the profiles and letters we receive, you might very well be inspired to support these organizations with your own donations.
______________________________
Motherlove is giving away a Nurturing Life Giftbox, celebrating new motherhood, to 3 lucky winners:
Each Nurturing Life Giftbox is has a Retail value $59.95 and includes:
– environmentally responsible Motherlove tote bag
Currently Leakies can find these and other great pregnancy and nursing products on the Motherlove website and in some local retail stores and boutiques.
______________________________
Good luck to everyone! Please use the widget below to be entered, and check out motherlove.com for more products related to fertility, pregnancy, and nursing . The giveaway is open from September 25, 2012 through October 1, 2012. A big thanks to Kathryn and Motherlove for their ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women, please be sure to visit their Facebook page or follow them on twitter (@motherloveherb on Twitter) and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.
This giveaway is open to US entries only.
I will use every single product!
I wold use the diaper rash and thrush salve the most!
I would most definitely use the pregnant belly salve!!! It seems wonderful!
I LOVE the MotherLove Company and thanks to its products Ive had a easier go at Breastfeeding this time around and will the next time!!
I would use the diaper cream and nipple cream the most.
I would use either the birth & baby spary or the sitz bath spray the most!
Would love all these goodies yayy
I would use the elly salve, I”m pregnany with #2 🙂
I would love these products! Thanks for the giveaway!
i would love to win this!
today it would be the diaper rash ointment that is safe for CDs!
I would use the birth and baby oil the most (on our new baby) ~ though I’ll be glad to have all of the products available when I need them. Thanks for another great giveaway.
What an awesome Giveaway!! Thank you so much!
Thrush and rash cream!!
Thank you! This would be awesome to win!
definitely the nipple cream!
The nipple cream would come in handy, due in 2 weeks!
We have the nipple cream and use it daily! Such a godsend! Would love to try all products, especially the rash cream.
I would use the nipple cream most, hands down!
I would love the pregnant belly salve!
I think I would use the nipple cream.
I’d love to try these
I love the nipple cream, and could use some more! 🙂
bath spray
Nipple cream!
Either the birth and baby oil or nipple salve.
definitely the diaper rash/thrush salve!!
I am all about that bath sitz spray and birth/baby oil! was due this week and am 40+ weeks pregnant now!
I would so use the nipple cream and the diaper rash/thrush. I would in reality probably use it all.
I would love the pregnant belly salve now and the nipple cream later. Great giveaway!
I’d use the nipple cream for sure!
Diaper rash cream probably! But Id love to win this to give away to one of my pregnant best friends!
i would use all of it but i think the diaper rash cream. we have rash issues around here.
My favorite is the nipple cream! I use it all the time and it has more than just the one use!
I would love to win this!! I am 38 weeks pregnant so I would probably end up using the nipple cream, the oil and the diaper rash cream.
The diaper rash and thrush stuff, if baby is unlucky. The nipple cream, if all continues to go well.
My son is teething and only wants to bf- I need the nipple cream!
I would use the thrush n rash cream!!!!
The belly salve! 🙂
would love to win this to help with my new little guy on the way!
would probably use the diaper cream most often!
Diaper rash and thrush cream!!!
Probably the pregnant belly salve, my belly itches a lot.
Probably the nipple cream.
The nipple cream sounds great to this sore mama!
I would probably use the disposer rash cream the most until I decide to get pregnant again, then I would probably use the sitz already the most!
I love the nipple and diaper rash/Thrush balm. The Diaper Rash balm is the only thing that would get rid of my daughter’s yeast rashes.
I think I would like the herbal teas the best! Everything looks great though!
I would use the nipple cream the most, currently breast feeding my 7 month old!
I would use all of it! I am 34 wks pregnant with baby number 3. We plan on breastfeeding. We currently have a 17 month old who is still in diapers. I think that covers all the products LOL.
I would LOVE to win these fabulous products!
All these products seem wonderful. I would love to try them out!
I would love to win these awesome products!
Belly Salve
First time mom here with twins on the way! These products sound awesome and would be very helpful on my new breastfeeding adventure!
I will use the diaper rash and nipple cream the most!
Just found out LO #3 is on the way! So I am ready to use all of it!
wish i’d had that tummy cream!
nipple cream!
Love all your products!! 🙂
Hi, great giveaway! i do hope it is open internationally
I am going to use every thing, but first – the pregnant belly salve
Thanks
Radmila, rada76@mail.ru
From Ukraine
I think we’d use the diaper rash & thrush salve.
I think we’d use the diaper rash & thrush salve the most
I’m 33 weeks pregnant, so the belly salve, birth & oil and sitz bath right now! 🙂
The diaper rash stuff would be great to try!
Would love to try these! 🙂
Nipple cream was a life saver with baby #1!
Now that I’m only 17 days away from having my rainbow baby girl, I’m definitely going to bbe using the nipple cream most often! Would love to win this!
Pregnant belly salve please! !!
The diaper rash/thrush! It all looks great though!
Id like to try the diaper rash cream! 🙂
I would love to try all the products especially the pregnant belly salve!!
I would get the most use out of the nipple cream! Newbie breastfeeder here with chapped nippies!
I would use the diaper and thrush cream most often!
Beautiful gift!!
I would use the diaper cream and the nipple cream the most.
What a wonderful organization!
The nipple cream would sure come in handy right now. My little guy’s like a Hoover!
I think the belly salve and the birth & baby oil would be tough for me to chose between as something I would use the most.
I would use them all, but definitely the belly cream and nipple cream the most!
i would so love to try the diaper rash cream!
I would love to have all of this ! I cant find any nipple cream that my 8 month old will be okay with and I have been told that this is the best …I so hope I win 🙂
Belly oil and Baby oil!!
Nipple cream for sure
Belly Salve and nipple butter!
I am newly pregnant – woo 9 weeks! so I have a lot of growing to do!
I will be appying the diaper cream to baby and mommy will be using nipple cream and belly oil.