The program is entirely free of charge. That’s why this gift from Heritage is so important. It allows us to continue this vital community program.
Mindy Dame, MS, RN, director of Women's and Children's Services and OB-GYN at SVMCHeritage Family Cares 4 You (HFCares4U) — a charitable foundation through Heritage Family Credit Union — awarded Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s (SVMC) Baby Café program a $5,000 grant in December.
SVMC, a member of Dartmouth Health, launched Baby Café through its Women’s and Children’s Services (WCS) in 2024. The program is a free, drop-in, informal breastfeeding and social support group for parents, providing lunch and access to lactation experts.
SVMC’s Baby Café is licensed through Baby Café USA, a non-profit 501(c)(3) that works to reduce health disparities nationwide and help mothers realize their breastfeeding goals. SVMC’s Baby Café meets weekly at the Bennington Community Market, located at 239 Main St. It is open every Wednesday, from 11 am to 12:30 pm. SVMC’s lactation specialists provide support to moms and baby weigh-ins each week. It’s also a chance to connect and socialize.
“This program brings together 15-25 parents each week to enjoy a meal or snack and talk with professionals who can provide advice and guidance,” said Mindy Dame, MS, RN, director of WCS and OB-GYN. “The program is entirely free of charge. That’s why this gift from Heritage is so important. It allows us to continue this vital community program.”
This is only Baby Café location in Vermont.
“Baby Café is making such an impact in our greater Bennington community by supporting the physical and mental health of parents and babies,” said Tracy Adams, business development officer at Heritage Family Credit Union. “This work closely aligns with the mission of our foundation.”
You can find a full schedule of Baby Café at this link.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.