We are proud to announce that Marissa Grossenbach, Board President of Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes has been appointed as a Director at Large on the Board of Directors of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). This appointment is a significant milestone for our organization, for the Illinois and Wisconsin families we serve, and for the national effort to make pasteurized donor human milk a universal standard of care for fragile and premature infants.
Congratulations, Marissa Grossenbach
Marissa Grossenbach has served as Board President of Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes, guiding the organization through sustained growth and deepened community impact. Under her leadership, Milk Bank WGL expanded its hospital partnerships across Illinois and Wisconsin, advanced equitable access to donor milk for families regardless of their ability to pay, and strengthened the organizational infrastructure that allows us to serve more than 90 hospitals and hundreds of families across our region.
Marissa’s appointment to the HMBANA Board as Director at Large brings that same steady, mission-driven leadership to the national level. In this role, she will help shape the evidence-based guidelines, policy priorities, and advocacy efforts that set the standard for nonprofit donor milk banking across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
We could not be more proud of this recognition, or more confident in the leadership Marissa will bring to HMBANA.
About Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes
Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (Milk Bank WGL) is the only nonprofit organization that collects, pasteurizes, and dispenses donor human milk to premature babies and pediatric patients across Illinois and Wisconsin.
Founded in 2011 by local experts in pediatrics and infant nutrition, Milk Bank WGL was built on a fundamental belief: that donor milk is not just nutrition, it is medicine. For premature infants in the NICU, access to safe, pasteurized human milk can reduce the risk of life-threatening complications and support healthier outcomes from the very first days of life.
What We Do
Milk Bank WGL collects donated breast milk from thoroughly screened donor mothers, pasteurizes it using evidence-based methods, and distributes it by prescription to hospitals and families in need. Every batch is tested before and after pasteurization to ensure the highest possible safety standards.
- Serving: 90+ hospitals across Illinois and Wisconsin
- Founded: 2011 | HMBANA Accredited: 2016
- Regulated by: FDA (Registered Food Facility), Illinois Department of Public Health, Elk Grove Village Health Department
- Location: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
No family is turned away for lack of ability to pay. Our Charity Care Program offers support!
Why Donor Milk Matters
A premature baby in the NICU may consume less than one ounce in a single feeding. Yet every ounce of pasteurized donor human milk has been shown to support immune function, gut health, and neurological development in ways that formula cannot replicate. For the most vulnerable infants, donor milk from a nonprofit, HMBANA-accredited milk bank is the safest, most clinically sound alternative when a mother’s own milk is unavailable.
About HMBANA: The Human Milk Banking Association of North America
Established in 1985, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) is the only professional membership association for nonprofit human milk banks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
HMBANA develops and maintains the rigorous, evidence-based guidelines that govern every aspect of donor milk banking, from how donors are screened and how milk is collected, to how it is processed, stored, and distributed. Member milk banks like Milk Bank WGL earn accreditation by demonstrating full compliance with these standards, giving healthcare providers and families confidence in the safety and quality of every ounce dispensed.
HMBANA’s Mission and Impact
HMBANA’s vision is a world where all infants have access to human milk, through breastfeeding support and through pasteurized donor human milk, regardless of a family’s financial circumstances. The organization advocates at the national level for donor milk as a universal standard of care and works to advance equitable access across North America.
In 2025, HMBANA member milk banks collectively dispensed a record 13 million ounces of donor human milk! This landmark achievement reflects the growing clinical recognition of donor milk’s critical role in neonatal care.
https://www.hmbana.org — Learn more about HMBANA
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
The relationship between Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes and HMBANA is a working partnership grounded in a common commitment to evidence-based care and infant health equity.
HMBANA’s national guidelines give the families and hospitals we serve confidence that the donor milk their babies receive meets the highest safety standards anywhere in North America. In turn, milk banks like ours bring those standards to life in local communities. Together we focus on building trust with donors, hospitals, neonatologists, and families who might never otherwise connect with the donor milk system.
That partnership was on full display when Milk Bank WGL hosted HMBANA’s International Donor Milk Conference and unveiled our state-of-the-art Medela Human Milk Research Lab, bringing together more than 200 public health delegates from around the world to advance the science and practice of human milk banking. It is also reflected in the daily collaboration between Milk Bank WGL and HMBANA members across North America: sharing best practices, supporting accreditation, and pushing together toward a future where no premature infant goes without access to safe donor milk.
Marissa Grossenbach’s appointment to the HMBANA Board is a natural extension of this partnership. Her presence in the national boardroom means Milk Bank WGL’s regional experience, and the voices of the families, donors, and hospitals we serve, will help shape the future of donor milk banking across the continent.
How You Can Support Our Mission
Whether you are a nursing mother with extra milk to donate, a healthcare provider looking to connect families with donor milk, or a community member who wants to help us save tiny lives, there are meaningful ways to get involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HMBANA? HMBANA, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, is the only professional membership association for nonprofit donor human milk banks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Founded in 1985, HMBANA sets the evidence-based guidelines and safety standards that all accredited milk banks must follow.
What does a Director at Large do on the HMBANA Board? A Director at Large serves as a voting member of the HMBANA Board of Directors, contributing to organizational governance, strategic direction, policy development, and advocacy priorities on behalf of the broader donor milk banking community.
What is Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes? Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (Milk Bank WGL) is a nonprofit, HMBANA-accredited donor human milk bank based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. It is the only organization of its kind serving hospitals and families across Illinois and Wisconsin, providing safe, pasteurized donor human milk to premature and medically fragile infants.
Where is Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes located? Milk Bank WGL is located at 560 Bonnie Lane, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and serves more than 90 hospitals throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.
How can I donate breast milk in Illinois or Wisconsin? Mothers in Illinois and Wisconsin who would like to donate breast milk can get started at milkbankwgl.org. Donors are carefully screened to ensure the safety of every batch of pasteurized donor milk.
