Archives: CHEER-Champions
CHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: MARY DALLAS

Making donations to refugee camps and organizations in Greece is nothing new for Mary Dallas. When a CHEERing camp was in need of clothing and bedding at the start of the New Year, she came to the rescue. She also delivered children’s school supplies to Malakasa Camp in 2022. Mary is a British exp
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: MARIA INES SILVA

Congratulations to CHEERing alumna Maria Ines Silva, BSc. Maria spent her 6-month Erasmus nutrition placement with CHEERing in Greece. She served as the onsite nutrition specialist, focused primarily on promoting food literacy, reducing food waste, and favoring sustainable diets. The children at Mal
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: LAENE RAMIREZ KEITH

Our CHAMPion of the Week is Laene Ramirez Keith, MA, CCC/SLP, IBCLC (she/hers). Laene is a lactation consultant and Speech Language Pathologist in Florida. She serves as Communications Coordinator with Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida, advocating for access to donor human milk. Laene also provides in
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: TAREQ GHAFARI

Congratulations to Tareq Ghafari, a member of our CHEERing Afghanistan team! Tareq is dedicated to promoting maternal-child health in his home country. He joined the CHEERing team in September after studying nursing and currently runs the day-to-day operations of CHEERing’s newest Grow Clinic in H
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: VALERIE COLEMAN

Valerie Coleman, RN, MSN, IBCLC, FACCE, is our CHAMPion of the Week. Valerie is the Program Director of Family Life Education, Women’s Health Community Outreach, and Lactation Services at VCU Health Systems (VCUHS) in Richmond, Virginia. Valerie is currently active with the Virginia Department
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: JENAN
CHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER

CHAMPS’ first Baby-Friendly re-designated hospital is here! The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) was initially designated as a Baby-Friendly hospital in September 2017 and was re-designated on December 5, 2022. Their incredible Baby-Friendly journey began ten years ago. UMMC’s
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS

NYC Health + Hospitals has entered a new chapter. The nation’s largest municipal health care system now has all maternity hospitals Baby-Friendly designated. The system-wide accomplishment came after Kings County Hospital became Baby-Friendly designated in August of 2022. NYC Health + Hospitals
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: SAMANA & SOMAYE YOUSEFI

Congratulations to CHEERing Afghanistan’s Program Leaders Samana Yousefi and Somaye Yousefi, MD. Samana and Somaye lead on-the-ground efforts for the Grow Clinic in Herat. They provide health care for mothers, infants and children, and 20 pregnant women two days per week including weighing and mea
Read MoreCHEER CHAMPION OF THE WEEK: CHRISTINA CHUNN

CHEER celebrates Christina Chunn, CHES, IBCLC, CLC (she/hers/her). She is currently working on her Master of Public Health Education at Mississippi University for Women (MUW). She remains a La Leche League Leader since 2008. Christina is also a proud spouse to an Air Force Reservist. Christina mo
Read More