Celebrating the Official Ribbon Cutting of Our New Facility
We are proud to announce the official ribbon cutting of our new facility at the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. This new space marks a monumental step forward in our mission to provide pasteurized donor human milk to babies who need it most across Illinois, Wisconsin, and beyond.
The exterior of 560 Bonnie Lane, our new facility
A New Home, A Greater Impact
Located at 560 Bonnie Lane, our new state-of-the-art headquarters is where compassion meets science. Here, we collect, screen, pasteurize, and distribute donated milk to hospitals and families in outpatient care. As Program Manager Susan Urbanski told ABC7:
“We accept donations from moms who have a surplus. We test it, we pasteurize it, we bottle it, and we get it back out.”
The majority of this life-saving milk nourishes premature and critically ill infants in NICUs, babies who need it to survive and thrive when their own mothers’ milk is unavailable.
Baby London at 24 weeks old
London’s Story: A Full-Circle Moment
At the heart of our mission are stories like London’s—a former NICU baby and now a thriving third grader. Born at just 24 weeks, London was a tiny fighter whose early life was full of uncertainty. After her mother, Rachel Caputo, spent seven months pumping and providing her own milk, she turned to the milk bank to continue nourishing her daughter.
“London had to remain on donor milk for the first two years of her life. It’s what she needed so that her gut could heal and so she could continue to grow,” Rachel shared during the ribbon cutting event.
Now a bright and bubbly 9-year-old, London had the honor of cutting the ribbon alongside Senator Tammy Duckworth, a powerful and emotional moment that brought our mission full circle. What began as a lifesaving intervention for one tiny baby became a celebration of health, hope, and community impact.
London, her Mother Rachel, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Executive Director of Milk Bank WGL Summer Kelly cutting the ribbon of our new facility at 560 Bonnie Lane
Growing to Meet the Need
As demand for donor milk continues to rise, our new facility allows us to expand our operations and serve more hospital partners and families.
“This facility allows us to expand operations and better serve our hospital partners and outpatient families,”said Urbanski.
With enhanced processing capacity and updated systems, we remain committed to safety, innovation, and equity in donor milk access.
Be Part of the Mission
Whether you’re a lactating parent with extra milk, a supporter who believes in equitable infant nutrition, or a healthcare provider serving vulnerable babies—we invite you to join us.
Learn more about milk donation, our impact, and how you can help at www.milkbankwgl.org.
Every ounce makes a difference. And every story, like London’s, begins with a gift of love.
