There are currently 35 local coalitions in Minnesota. Some coalitions are cultural, others encompass one or more counties or a region of the state. Seventy of Minnesota’s 87 counties have a coalition presence. Breastfeeding advocacy and promotion begin at the grassroots level. We encourage you to contact your local coalition and see how you can become involved. If there is not a coalition in your area, contact the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition marcia.in.mn@gmail.com for ideas on how to start one.

This tracking spreadsheet shows what the local coalitions in Minnesota have been doing recently to work toward meeting Objective 1 in the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition’s strategic plan. If you are a local coalition leader, please add information about your local coalition to the spreadsheet.

• Becker County                                                                                                           For information, contact:  Kaitlin Pierce at 281-847-5628, Ext. 5430, kmpierc@co.becker.mn.us or LeAnn Nelmark at 218-847-5628 Ext. 5398, ljnelma@co.becker.mn.us
• Believers in Breastfeeding (Douglas County Breastfeeding Coalition)
  For information, contact:  Tammy Bunting at 320-762-3024, tammyb@horizonph.org or  Kelly Waldorf at 320-762-6464,  kwaldorf@dchospital.com
• The Breastfeeding Boosters of Nobles, Cottonwood and Jackson Counties
  For information, contact:   Lindsay Chapman at 507-831-1987, lindsay.chapman@dvhhs.org or Mary Oeltjenbruns, mary.oeltjenbruns@sanfordhealth.org
  
• Breastfeeding Coalition of Dodge, Rice, and Steele Counties
  For information, contact:  Melissa Beneke, melissa.beneke@allina.com or Sara Coulter, scoulter@co.rice.mn.us
• Breastfeeding Coalition of Richland and Wilkin Counties (includes Richland County in ND and Wilkin County in MN)
  For information, contact:   Danielle Flack at 701-642-7735, daniellef@co.richland.nd.us
• Breastfeeding for Babes Coalition (includes Beltrami County and Red Lake and Leech Lake Tribal communities)          For information, contact:  Sheila Johnson at 218-333-8298, Sheila.Johnson@co.beltrami.mn.us
• Brown County Breastfeeding Coalition                                       For information, contact:  Melissa Hoffmann at 507-233-6815, melissa.hoffmann@co.brown.mn.us
• Carlton County Breastfeeding Coalition   For information, contact Patti Martin, patti.martin@co.carlton.mn.us
• Carver County Public Health
  For information, contact:  Jean Pierson at 952-361-1345, jpierson@co.carver.mn.us
  
• Cass and Itasca County Breastfeeding Coalition
  For information, contact Renee Lukkason at 218-547-1340, ext. 209, or  renee.lukkason@co.cass.mn.us
• Central Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition (includes
  Sherburne, Anoka, Mille Lacs, Wright, Stearns, and Benton Counties)
  Web site:  www.centralmnbreastfeedingcoalition.org
  For information, contact:   Holly Haney at 763-324-4215, Holly.Haney@co.anoka.mn.us or Kimberly Welvaert, kimberly.welvaert@centracare.com
• Cook County Maternal Child Health Group
  For information, contact:  Kristin DeArruda Wharton  at 218-387-2330, ext 150  or
  kristin@sawtoothmountainclinic.org
• Crow River Area Breastfeeding Coalition (includes McLeod, Meeker, and Sibley Counties)
  For information, contact Jenny Crowe at 320-693-5394,  jenny.crowe@co.meeker.mn.us or Whitney Wiethoff at 507-237-4018 whitneyw@co.sibley.mn.us
• Dakota County
  For information, contact:  Katie Galloway, katie.galloway@co.dakota.mn.us
• East Central Breastfeeding Coalition (includes Chisago, Kanabec, Isanti, and Pine Counties)
  Web site:  www.eastcentralbreastfeeding.org
  For information, contact:  Barb Anderson at  763-689-4212,  barb.anderson@co.isanti.mn.us
• Fargo-Moorhead Area Breastfeeding Association (includes Clay County in MN and Cass County in ND)
  For information, contact:  Dawn Braaten at  218-299-7760, Dawn.Braaten@co.clay.mn.us or Tera Orr at 701-476-6711, torr@FargoND.gov
• Fond du Lac Reservation Breastfeeding Task Force
  For information, contact Celeste Ekberg at  218-878-3705,  celesteekberg@fdlrez.com  or Allison Bustrak at  218-279-4109, allisonbustrak@fdlrez.com
• Freeborn County Breastfeeding Coalition
  For information, contact:  Cindy Gaudian at 507-377-5100,  cindy.gaudian@co.freeborn.mn.us
• Goodhue Wabasha Pierce County Breastfeeding Coalition
  For information, contact:  Anne M. Beckman at  651-267-5376,  beckman.anne@mayo.edu
• Hubbard County
• Indigenous Breastfeeding Coalition of Minnesota                     For information, contact:  Takayla Lightfield at 605-431-6207, ligh0044@umn.edu or Natalie Nicholson at 218-444-4323, natalie.nicholson@mewinzha.com
• Kandiyohi County Breastfeeding Coalition
  For information, contact:  Marilyn Kemppainen at
  Marilyn.Kemppainen@kcmn.us
• Mower County Breastfeeding Coalition                   For information, contact: Kellie Jorgensen at 507-438-0743,  jorgenson.kellie@mayo.edu or Karrie Green at 507-210-1655, green.karrie@gmail.com
• North Central Breastfeeding Network (includes Aitkin, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena Counties)
  For information, contact:  Shari Nelson at  218-824-1097,  shari.nelson@crowwing.us
• Northland Breastfeeding Coalition (includes St. Louis, Carlton, and Lake Counties in MN and Douglas County in WI)
  Web site:  www.northlandbreastfeedingcoalition.org
  For information, contact:  Candy Wegerson at 218-302-6186, candy.wegerson@state.mn.us  or  Sarah Stock at  218-293-1425,  sastock@northwest-csa.com
• Olmsted Area Breastfeeding Coalition
  For information, contact:  Wendy O’Leary  at  507-328-7491, oleary.wendy@co.olmsted.mn.us
• Partnership 4 Breastfeeding (Otter Tail County)  For information, contact:  Leslie Anderson at goldinit@lrhc.org or Kristin Bye at kbye@co.ottertail.mn.us
• Polk County
  For information, contact:  Tammy Conn at  218-281-3385,  tammy.conn@co.polk.mn.us
• Quin County CHS (includes Kittson / Marshall / Pennington / Red Lake / Roseau Counties) For information, contact:  Connie Hagen at 218-681-0876, crhagen@co.pennington.mn.us
• Renville County Breastfeeding & Healthy Families Task Force
  For information, contact:  Polly Ahrens at 320-523-2570, polly_a@co.renville.mn.us  or Annmarie Suess at  annmarie_s@co.renville.mn.us
• South Central Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition (regional coalition made up of Brown, Nicollet, Watonwan, Faribault, Martin, Le Sueur, Waseca, and Blue Earth Counties)
  For information, contact:  Cierra Thibert at  507-304-4178, Cierra.thibert@blueearthcountymn.gov
• Southwest Breastfeeding Coalition (includes Big Stone / Lac qui Parle / Swift / Chippewa / Yellow Medicine Counties)
  For information, contact:  Ashlie Johnson at 320-843-4546,
  ashlie@countryside.co.swift.mn.us 
• Todd Wadena Healthy Connections
  Web site: www.toddwadenahealthyconnections.org
  For information, contact: Stephanie Rodriguez-Moser at  218-894-8846
• Twin Cities Regional Breastfeeding Coalition   For information, contact: Franny Clary-Leiferman at frances.clary@co.ramsey.mn.us or Pa Shasky at pa.shasky@co.ramsey.mn.us
• Washington County Breastfeeding Coalition
  For information, contact:  Maggie Domski at  651-430-6649,  maggie.domski@co.washington.mn.us or Lia Burg at lia.burg@co.washington.mn.us
  For resource list:
  http://www.livinghealthywc.orgBreastfeeding.html
• Winona County
  For information, contact:  Robyn Hinz  at  507-457-7736,  Rhinz@winonahealth.org

Changes?  Email barbking99@yahoo.com to update your
coalition’s contact information.

Resources

• • • Invitation Letter and Survey  template provided by Blue Earth County:  Invite letter Blue Earth County
    • Breastfeeding Support Survey provided by Crow River Area Breastfeeding Coalition:  Survey – Breastfeeding Support in Meeker, McLeod, and Sibley Counties

Click the link below for information about state, territory, and tribal breastfeeding coalitions across the country.

Directory of State/Territory/Tribal Breastfeeding Coalitions

Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalitions

(map designed by Kim Engwer-Moylan)