Indigenous birth worker travel fund

Hello everyone, 

My name is Quill Christie-Peters and I am an Anishinaabeg artist and youth worker currently residing in Thunder Bay. I am pregnant with my first child (Bean) and am preparing for my home birth here in Thunder Bay. I am so unbelievably grateful to have a beautiful team of Indigenous women supporting me through my birth (Keisha, Salia and Taylor). These women are a web that hold me throughout my life and now, will help me hold space for Bean's beautiful entrance into this world. 

Having this support team at my birth is important to me as an Anishinaabeg person but also as someone who lives in Thunder Bay, a remote city with particular challenges around white supremacy and violence, especially within the health care system. 

I am hoping to raise money to cover the travel and living expenses of these beautiful women while they support me. Keisha is my doula and she is also in her final year of midwifery school. She has so generously decided to come be with me for one month around the time of birth providing culturally relevant birth care for me and Bean. Salia is my sister and will also be joining me for the birth. Taylor will be joining me for the birth with the intention of providing more postpartum care, staying with me for a month after Bean's arrival to help us cook, clean and sleep. I am hoping to cover their travel expenses as they are all travelling from BC to Northern Ontario as well as basic living expenses while they are here such as food, gas, etc. 

We just updated our goal to $10,000 to include some baby related costs that Quill was going to fundraise for. Since this go fund me has been spreading around, we figured it made sense to try and grab the funds here! These funds include winter tires, a breast pump, black out blinds and a deep freeze for pre-made meals. 

Any contributions are so appreciated! These women will be travelling at the end of August for Bean's due date in early September.  Chii Miigwech.

Our fund breakdown: 

Flights for 3 from BC--> Tbay ($2400) 
Midwifery course fee ($350) 
Winter tires ($1000) 
Car repair ($2000) 
Food for 6 people for 4-weeks, with extra for food prep ($2500)
Deep freezer for food prep ($500) 
Birth Pool Rental ($500)
Breast Pump Rental ($200)