Mothers’ Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes announces opening of new facility

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes (Milk Bank WGL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifesaving donor human milk to infants in need, is excited to announce its relocation and expansion to a new facility at 560 Bonnie Lane, Elk Grove Village, effective Oct. 7. The 15,000 square-foot facility, located in the heart of the nation’s largest industrial park, will allow for increased milk donation capacity and a state-of-the-art lab to process thousands of ounces of milk daily.

This expansion nearly triples the milk bank’s space and will include new office areas, an over 2,000 square-foot walk-in freezer, a community gathering room, and an expanded bereavement memorial.

“This expansion is essential. Demand for donor milk increases 20-30% annually,” said Summer Kelly, executive director of Milk Bank WGL. “The new building will allow us to accommodate the processing of thousands of ounces of milk each day and better meet the needs of the families and hospitals we serve.”

Milk Bank WGL has been operating at 1691 Elmhurst Road, Elk Grove Village, since 2015. Families will be able to access milk bank services at the new location starting on Oct. 7, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In addition to donor milk’s numerous health benefits for premature and medically fragile infants, the milk bank supports growing demand from both hospitals and home-based pediatric patients.

“This move allows us to better serve our community and ensure that more babies get the lifesaving nutrition they need,” said Susan Urbanski, program manager.

Since 2016, the organization has processed over three million ounces of donor milk.

“My team works tirelessly to make sure we always have milk on hand to meet the growing needs of hospitals and outpatients,” said plant Manager Jose Zepeda.

To celebrate the move, Milk Bank WGL will host events and tours inviting the community, health care providers, and supporters to the new facility and learn more about the impact of donor human milk.

Milk Bank WGL is the only nonprofit milk bank dedicated to providing safe, pasteurized donor human milk to infants in need in Wisconsin and Illinois. It works closely with hospitals and families to ensure that every baby has access to the lifesaving nutrition of human milk. Through its network of generous donors, Milk Bank WGL is able to support the health and well-being of the most vulnerable infants.

For information about the expansion, or how to get involved with Milk Bank WGL, visit milkbankwgl.org or contact (847) 262-5134 or info@milkbankwgl.org.