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Livingston County Health Center Opens Milk Depot in Partnership with The Milk Bank
The community-based milk donation site will expand The Milk Bank’s lifesaving work into North Central Missouri
CHILLICOTHE, MO, July 28, 2026— Livingston County Health Center has partnered with The Milk Bank to open a new Milk Depot, providing a convenient local location where approved milk donors can drop off donations of frozen breast milk.
The Milk Depot is now open to the public, and the Health Center will celebrate the new partnership with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, August 4 at 4 p.m. at Livingston County Health Center, 800 Adam Drive in Chillicothe. Community members are invited to attend and learn more about the Milk Depot, milk donation and the important role donor human milk plays in caring for vulnerable infants.
The new Milk Depot expands access to milk donation in north central Missouri while supporting The Milk Bank’s mission of providing safe, pasteurized donor human milk to infants who need it most. “We are excited to partner with The Milk Bank to offer this opportunity right here in Livingston County,” said Shelby Hayes, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor. “Breast milk donors give an incredible gift. By providing a convenient place for local donors to bring their milk, we can help those donations reach fragile infants who rely on donor milk while receiving care in the NICU.”
Approved milk donors with The Milk Bank can drop off donations of frozen breast milk at Livingston County Health Center during regular office hours. Donated milk is transported to The Milk Bank, a nonprofit milk bank dedicated to improving health outcomes for premature and ill infants. There, donated milk is carefully processed, analyzed, pasteurized and distributed to hospitals and families in need.
“We are so appreciative of this new partnership with Livingston County Health Center,” said Freedom Kolb, CEO of The Milk Bank. “This new Milk Depot will help protect the critical supply of pasteurized donor human milk needed for babies born too small, too sick, or too soon. We are grateful for their help in establishing a convenient, community-based milk donation site and expanding this lifesaving work.”
The ribbon cutting coincides with World Breastfeeding Week, a globally recognized campaign that raises awareness of breastfeeding and the support families need to meet their infant-feeding goals. The new Milk Depot is another way Livingston County Health Center is working to build a breastfeeding-friendly community and connect local families with resources and support.
To keep up with the need for donor milk, The Milk Bank must continually welcome and screen new milk donors. Every ounce donated can provide up to three feedings for premature infants. Individuals interested in becoming milk donors can contact The Milk Bank at (317) 536-1670 or visit The Milk Bank’s website to learn more about eligibility and the donor screening process.
About The Milk Bank
The Milk Bank is a nonprofit tissue bank providing pasteurized donor human milk to hospitals and families throughout the region. Since its inception in 2005, The Milk Bank has helped provide millions of feedings of safe human milk to infants who are often born too small, too sick or too soon. The Milk Bank works to improve health outcomes for premature and ill infants, foster
better health for children and decrease health care expenditures. The Milk Bank follows rigorous safety standards informed by the CDC and FDA and is a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA).
For more information about the new milk depot, contact the Health Center at 660-646-5506.
