(Top left to right) Lali Garrido, Maria Hetherton, Ifeyinwa Asiodu, Caroline Carter, Nathalie Larsen
(Bottom left to right) Amritha Somasekar, Andrea Racelis, Nadia Grenville
In honor of International Women’s Week this past March, UCSF Family Services partnered with Mothers’ Milk Bank California to host its first human milk drive. The event brought together staff, patients, and the broader community to support some of the most vulnerable infants. It also reflects the culture of support that helped UCSF earn recognition as a 2026 Best Place to Pump honoree.
The drive collected 2,521 ounces, nearly 20 gallons, of human milk from eight generous donors, including UCSF employees, patients, and San Francisco residents. Donations help nourish premature and medically fragile infants, for whom human milk plays a critical role in reducing infection risk, preventing serious conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis, and improving feeding tolerance.
For Chloe Sasakado, a clinical dietitian at UCSF, the decision to donate was shaped by both her training and her personal experience.
“When I was in school, I learned about the benefits of breast milk and milk banks, and I remember thinking that if I ever had the opportunity, I would want to donate,” she said.
That opportunity became especially meaningful after the birth of her child in May 2025. Following delivery, Sasakado needed time to recover, and during that time, her newborn received donor breast milk in the hospital.
“I requested donor breast milk so I could rest and begin building my own supply,” she said. “Later, we found out my child has a cow’s milk allergy. If they had received formula, they likely would have had a reaction. I’m really grateful they had access to donor milk.”
That experience stayed with her and inspired her to give back.
“Being on the receiving end made it even more meaningful to donate,” she said. “My child and I benefited from donor milk, so being able to support other babies and families felt really important.”
An Award Winning Lactation Accommodation Program
Sasakado’s story reflects the spirit of generosity across the UCSF community, supported by strong institutional commitment.
The milk drive was led by Family Services and supported by volunteers from UCSF Nutrition and Food Services, Family Health Care Nursing, Pediatrics, and student groups. Together, they helped safely collect and transport donations while raising awareness of donor milk as a critical clinical resource.
Mothers’ Milk Bank California, the oldest continuously operating nonprofit milk bank in North America, has partnered with UCSF Health since 2012 to ensure donor milk reaches infants who need it most. Donated milk is carefully screened, pasteurized, and tested, offering a safe and essential option for families navigating complex medical needs.
This effort is part of a larger commitment at UCSF to support lactating parents. That commitment was recently recognized by Mothers’ Milk Bank California through its 2026 Best Place to Pump designation.
UCSF’s Lactation Accommodation Program provides staff, faculty, and learners with access to private lactation rooms, free pump kits and cooler bags, and educational resources such as monthly “Pumping and Returning to UCSF” workshop. Additional support includes a Supervisor Toolkit, milk-shipping services through Milk Stork for business travel, and clinical accommodations such as lactation credits for ambulatory providers (provided by UCSF Health).
“Creating a supportive environment for lactating employees and students is essential to well-being,” said Caroline Carter, Manager of the UCSF Lactation Accommodation Program. “This recognition reflects the dedication of teams across UCSF who work every day to ensure parents feel supported both at work and in their academic journeys.”
That support helps make stories like Sasakado’s possible. It allows parents not only to care for their own families, but also to extend that care to others.
“If there’s a way to help others, especially when you’re able to, I think that’s really important,” she said. “Not everyone has the same resources or supply, and this is one way to support families who need it.”
Plans are already underway for future milk drives, building on the success of this inaugural event and expanding opportunities for the UCSF community to contribute.
From receiving donor milk at birth to giving back months later, Sasakado’s story reflects a powerful cycle of care. It is a cycle that continues to define UCSF’s approach to supporting families and strengthening communities.
