Success Stories
Meet Indiana’s First Grassroots MCH Leaders!
Learn the personal stories, leadership priorities and the growing list of leadership successes of each Grassroots MCH Leader. If you are interested in working with them on their initiatives, or would benefit from their expertise, please feel free to contact us.
Ms. Belinda Brents
Leadership Priority:
- Creating and advancing MCH policies: Medicaid expansion
- Promoting safe sleep practice
Leadership Success:
- Consultation with Indiana MCH Legislative Caucus
Ms. Destiny Faceson
Leadership Priority:
- Creating and advancing MCH policies: Paid Maternity Leave, Workplace Accommodations for Pregnant Women, Elimination of Sales Tax on Feminine Hygiene Products and Diapers
Leadership Success:
- Consultation with Indiana MCH Legislative Caucus
- Steering Committee Member for Paid Family Leave Federal and State Legislation Study
- Member of IU Public Policy Institute
- Member of Marion County Fetal and Infant Mortality Community Action Team
- Plenary Speaker 2019 Labor of Love Summit
Ms. Deborah Fisher
Leadership Priority:
- Creating and advancing MCH policies: Advancing Rights and Benefits for Grandparents Caring for their Biological Grandchildren, Health Equity for Incarcerated Women
Leadership Success
- Consultation with Indiana MCH Legislative Caucus
- Member of Marion County Fetal and Infant Mortality Community Action Team
Ms. Victoria Jackson
Leadership Priority:
- Addressing domestic violence in pregnant and parenting women
Leadership Success:
- Speaker for Black Breastfeeding Coalition
- Plenary Speaker 2019 Labor of Love Summit
- Member of Marion County Fetal and Infant Mortality Community Action Team
Ms. Kelly Evans
Leadership Priority:
- Facilitating the stories of grassroots women who experienced challenging pregnancies and/or poor birth outcomes
- Improving the conditions of women and babies in affordable housing communities
Leadership Success
- Plenary speaker 2019 Labor of Love Summit
- Implemented parent skill building sessions in affordable housing communities
- Implement 100 Intentional Acts of Kindness for Pregnant Women in affordable housing community
Ms. Ilene Loper
Leadership Priority:
- Improving the conditions of women and babies in affordable housing communities
Leadership Success:
- Appointed member to Indiana Fair Housing Board
- Implemented parent skill building sessions in affordable housing communities
- Implement 100 Intentional Acts of Kindness for Pregnant Women in affordable housing community
Ms. Vera Moore
Leadership Priority:
- Improving the conditions of women and babies in affordable housing communities
- Advancing state policy to ensure Rights and Benefits for Grandparents Caring for their Biological Grandchildren
Leadership Success:
- Implemented parent skill building sessions in affordable housing communities,
- Implement 100 Intentional Acts of Kindness for Pregnant Women in affordable housing community
- Advocated to state leaders for grandparent’s right legislation
Ms. LaToya Hale
Leadership Priority:
- Improving the conditions of women and babies in affordable housing communities
Leadership Success:
- Implemented parent skill building sessions in affordable housing communities
- Implement 100 Intentional Acts of Kindness for Pregnant Women in affordable housing community
- Plenary Speaker for 2019 Labor of Love Summit
Ms. Nina Porter
Leadership Priority
- Developing community navigation system to improve outcomes for reentry pregnant/parenting women
Leadership Success:
- Developed Mothers on the Rise Program to serve reentry pregnant/parenting women leaving Indiana Women’s Prison
- Awarded 2020-2021 Americorp Member Position to implement Mothers on the Rise Program
- Advocating for criminal justice reform for reentry pregnant/parenting women
Ms. LaTisha Bolden
Leadership Priority
- Developing community navigation system to improve outcomes for reentry pregnant/parenting women
- Serving mothers who lost an infant due to a chromosomal disorder
Leadership Success:
- Assisted in the development of the Mothers on the Rise Program to serve reentry pregnant/parenting women leaving Indiana Women’s Prison
Ms. Julia Whitlock
Leadership Priority
- Improve outcomes and social acceptance of teen parents
Leadership Success:
- Implementing the evidence based Partnering with Teen Parents – Parents as Teachers Program
- Serving on Bartholomew County Fetal and Infant Mortality Community Action Team
Ms. Ashley Giles
Leadership Priority
- Improve outcomes and social acceptance of teen parents
- Advancing safe sleep practice for all families
Leadership Success:
- Implementing the evidence based Partnering with Teen Parents – Parents as Teachers Program
- Serving on Bartholomew County Fetal and Infant Mortality Community Action Team
Ms. Kim Walker
Leadership Priority
- Building spiritual care for pregnant and parenting moms in socially at-risk neighborhoods
Leadership Success
- Hired by IU Dept. of Pediatrics as Spiritual Care – MCH Liaison
- Plenary Speaker for 2019 Labor of Love Summit
Ms. Tia Washum
Leadership Priority:
- Serving women/moms/teens with substance use disorder
- Advancing policies to improve status of mothers with substance use disorder
Leadership Success:
- Appointed community intern for Indiana Institute for Working Families
- Developing training manual to serve teens with substance use disorder
- Plenary speaker for 2019 Labor of Love Summit