Illinois milk bank tripling in size to serve more hospitals and babies

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - The Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes is relocating to a larger facility in Elk Grove Village to keep up with the rising demand for donated human milk.

The new location will triple their current space, allowing them to provide more pasteurized milk to babies in need.

"This will help us scale up to safeguard the supply of milk for Illinois and Wisconsin, especially like what we saw in 2022, you know, a formula shortage. So we want to be prepared to make sure that we have enough milk to serve the needs of every single baby in Illinois and Wisconsin who needs it," said Summer Kelly, Executive Director at Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes.

The milk bank, the only one of its kind in Illinois and Wisconsin, supplies pasteurized human milk to around 90 hospitals in both states. The new facility will house over 2,000 cubic feet of freezer space—affectionately nicknamed "Christopher Walken"—where donated and pasteurized milk is stored.

In addition to increased storage, the expanded facility will feature a lab for collecting, testing, and pasteurizing milk on-site, helping to ensure a steady supply for hospitals. The bank has been helping mothers find human milk for their babies for more than a decade, and the move positions it to be one of the largest milk banks in the U.S.

For those interested in donating or in need of donated milk, more information can be found at milkbankwgl.org.