Santa Casa's Milk Bank receives over 300 jars donated by elementary and higher education students
More than 300 glass jars were donated to the Human Milk Bank (BLH) of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará (FSCMPA) during the month of October. The donations took place during two academic actions held at educational institutions in Belém.
In the first action, nursing students from Faculdade Cosmopolita participated in a technical visit to the BLH and donated more than 60 glass jars.
“As a nursing student, I understand how essential breast milk is for the life and healthy development of a child. Donating jars to the Human Milk Bank goes beyond a gesture of solidarity; it is a way to show care, empathy, and love, which can save lives every day. Participating in this action was very meaningful for me, as it reinforces the commitment I chose when pursuing nursing, which is to promote health, well-being, and care for others with dedication, sensitivity, and humanity,” said university student Camila Leal.
The second action was part of the “Solidarity Cauldron” project, a multidisciplinary initiative carried out by Escola Santa Emília for 21 years, where students mobilize to collect clothes, food, and toys that are donated to assistance institutions such as community centers, nursing homes, and parishes, and since 2024, it has included the donation of jars for the BLH as one of the requirements to be fulfilled by students from 6th to 9th grade of elementary school.
“The project was created to awaken in students the importance of being supportive. It consists of two parts: in the first, we collect donations from them, including clothes, toys, and non-perishable food. In 2024, my wife, who works at Santa Casa, suggested donating jars to the Santinha Milk Bank, and we embraced the idea. This year, being the first time, the quantity was small, 24 jars, but now in 2025, it was much larger, over 200 glass jars,” explained Professor Lucival Junior, one of the coordinators of the Gincana.
The Human Milk Bank of Santa Casa do Pará works to promote and support breastfeeding, collecting, processing, and distributing human milk for premature and low-birth-weight newborns who need safe and nutrient-rich food for their development.
The glass jars received from donors are sterilized to be used in the milk collection kits delivered to donors and for the storage and processing of the collected milk.
Nutritionist Vanda Marvão, the technical manager of the BLH, emphasizes the importance of student participation at all educational levels in the donations.
“The importance of student participation in this event is the issue of raising awareness from an early age, so that they can direct their actions as students or in their future professional experiences, understanding the significance of this gesture. So, when they become professionals, they will remember that action and the importance of milk donation, because many of them had the opportunity to see these jars being prepared for sterilization and in the storage and preparation of the kit, so they already know the importance of these jars, as well as the donation of milk.”
How to donate - To contribute to the BLH by donating glass jars with screw-on plastic lids used for milk storage, simply deliver the empty jars to the reception of Santa Casa.
To be a human milk donor, one must have an excess of milk and be in good health. For more information about registering donors and/or donating jars, please contact the number: (91) 3251-7311.
