THE VITAMIN BRIDGE

The Vitamin Bridge aspires to: (1) fill nutrition gaps through providing prenatal vitamins to at-risk women at the earliest stage of their pregnancy, (2) promote women’s health during pregnancy through providing healthy pregnancy habits information, and (3) operate as a sustainable, best-in-class nonprofit which grows at a responsible pace.

The Vitamin Bridge’s primary goal is to fill nutrition gaps by providing prenatal vitamins to disadvantaged women at the earliest point in their pregnancy. At-risk populations are often nutritionally challenged and include minorities, immigrants, teens and those in poverty. To help women in need, The Vitamin Bridge donates prenatal vitamins to first-touch providers which include pregnancy centers, free health clinics, maternity homes and organizations which serve homeless, pregnant women.

By supplying these organizations with prenatal vitamins, their clients are able to access this supplemental nutrition as early as their initial appointment. This can be beneficial to a healthy pregnancy and can also influence personal choices in response to the care and support provided by the first-touch provider.

A second goal is to promote women’s health through providing prenatal healthy pregnancy habit guidelines. Many among the targeted population are unaware of the importance of a healthy diet which, if better understood, could be a life improving factor during their pregnancy. By providing USDA’s “Tips for Expectant Moms,” The Vitamin Bridge is able to communicate important messages about healthy food choices, regular doctor visits and physical activity during pregnancy.

Lastly, The Vitamin Bridge intends to operate as a sustainable, best-in-class nonprofit which grows at a responsible pace. It is carefully establishing best practices and creating strategic alliances, thus creating a strong foundation that allows for responsible growth. This philosophy applies to each aspect of the organization and can be seen in its arrangements with prenatal vitamin suppliers, first-touch provider organizations, administration practices, donor relations and volunteer support.

Strategies to accomplishing The Vitamin Bridge’s mission are: (1) identify and partner with first-touch providers that serve disadvantaged, expectant mothers, (2) create strategic alliances with prenatal vitamin suppliers, (3) develop philanthropic and volunteer support from individuals, foundations, and corporations, and (4) establish relationships with public agencies in human services to direct women toward available resources for supplemental nutrition.

The Vitamin Bridge is impacting nutrition among disadvantaged, expectant mothers. In order to meet its objectives, The Vitamin Bridge partners with first-touch providers, such as pregnancy centers, free health clinics, maternity homes and women’s shelters, to which it donates prenatal vitamins and healthy pregnancy information.

Since The Vitamin Bridge is donating prenatal vitamins to first-touch providers, strategic alignment with prenatal vitamin suppliers is essential. The Vitamin Bridge is meeting this objective through procuring quality prenatal vitamins for donation to its recipient organizations.

The Vitamin Bridge develops philanthropic support from individuals, foundations and corporations aligned with its mission. Donors include those with public health, reproductive health care, women’s services and faith-based interests. In addition to receiving financial support, The Vitamin Bridge relies on a capable group of volunteers to advance its mission.

The Vitamin Bridge currently donates USDA materials intended to increase nutrition awareness among its recipients. It intends to develop additional relationships with human service agencies in order to direct women toward additional nutrition resources.

The Vitamin Bridge was formed to facilitate improved prenatal nutrition for disadvantaged, expectant women and has established an efficient business model to meet its objectives. The organization’s capabilities are summarized as follows:

Experienced Leadership - The Vitamin Bridge is an all-volunteer nonprofit led by a five-member board of directors. The board has considerable experienced in both the business and nonprofit sectors. Co-Founders Tom and Martha Day provide day-to-day leadership to the organization. Tom is an experienced businessman and recently retired commercial banking executive. Martha has a business administration background and a Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling - Health and Wellness. While both provide business expertise, Martha’s academic background and experience as a pregnancy center volunteer provides a unique perspective.

Committed Volunteers and Donors - The Vitamin Bridge has a growing support group of volunteers who are relied upon to assist in carrying out its mission. This group has volunteered time and expertise while serving in various capacities. Many of the volunteers are experts in their professional fields which expands The Vitamin Bridge’s capabilities. Regarding donor support, The Vitamin Bridge has collectively received financial support from a broad base of individuals, foundations and businesses that believe in its mission.

Mission Connectivity - The Vitamin Bridge serves disadvantaged, expectant women by providing prenatal vitamins and healthy nutrition information to first-touch providers. Co-Founder and President, Martha Day, has served as a pregnancy center volunteer which provides insight into the needs which The Vitamin Bridge is working to meet. Furthermore, The Vitamin Bridge has facilitated access to quality, prenatal vitamins which it procures for ultimate receipt by those in need.

The Vitamin Bridge was formed in May 2019 and began donating prenatal vitamins to a single pregnancy center in September of that year. What began as an attempt to meet the needs of one pregnancy center quickly expanded to The Vitamin Bridge serving additional organizations. With an awareness that the need goes far beyond the initial community, The Vitamin Bridge continues to expand its capabilities. Progress is reflected in the following results:

Number of Organizations Served - As of June 1, 2022, The Vitamin Bridge was serving 28 first-touch providers including pregnancy centers, health clinics and maternity homes. Locations served are Texas, Oklahoma and Georgia.

Number of Women Served - Since inception and through May 2022, The Vitamin Bridge has provided over 27,000 bottles of prenatal vitamins to first-touch providers for further donation to disadvantaged, expectant mothers.

Broad Base of Support – The Vitamin Bridge has received philanthropic support from a growing group of individuals, foundations, and corporations. In addition, an increasing number of volunteers are assisting The Vitamin Bridge as its mission is advanced.