The Milk Bank Celebrates 20 Years of Impact with Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Members of the public can witness how every ounce of donor milk is carefully processed, pasteurized, and delivered to fragile infants across the Midwest.
INDIANAPOLIS July 7, 2025 – Ever wondered what happens to a donation of breast milk once it comes through The Milk Bank’s doors? Wonder no more!
To celebrate 20 years of impact, The Milk Bank is opening its doors like never before to host a week of virtual and in-person tours. From August 4 – 8, The Milk Bank will host multiple behind-the-scenes tours per day.
“We are incredibly excited to celebrate 20 years of lifesaving impact with our milk recipients, milk donors, community members, partners, and supporters,” said Freedom Kolb, CEO of The Milk Bank. “Since we opened our doors on August 5, 2005, we’ve been laser focused on improving health outcomes for premature and ill babies by providing access to safe human milk. We are thrilled to open our doors to our community to show how we’ve been able to distribute up to than 15.6 million feedings to fragile infants in the NICU and at home.”
Tours are offered virtually or at The Milk Bank’s headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Special birthday treats and surprises will also be included for participants. Those interested can sign up for a virtual or in-person tour using this form. Groups are welcome to book together; each tour can hold up to 15 people and lasts 60 minutes. On the tour, guests will learn about how donor milk acts as medicine for fragile infants in the NICU, the milk donor approval process, and the milk lab, where every single ounce of donor milk is pasteurized.
Participants will also see the inner workings of The Milk Bank’s donation intake, milk lab, and shipping dock, where an average of 60,000 ounces of lifesaving milk is shipped out every month. “We look forward to opening our doors to anyone who wants to learn more about the lifesaving benefits of pasteurized donor human milk,” said Kolb. “We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate 20 years of impact than to share our lifesaving work with you.”
About The Milk Bank:
The Milk Bank is a non-profit tissue bank dispensing more than 600,000 ounces of pasteurized donor human milk to hospitals and families throughout the region every year. Since its inception in 2005, The Milk Bank has provided more than 15.6 million feedings of safe human milk to those who are often born too small, too sick, or too soon. The Milk Bank improves health outcomes for premature and ill infants, fosters better health for children, and decreases health care expenditures. The Milk Bank follows the strictest safety standards informed by the CDC and FDA and is a proud member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). Visit https://www.themilkbank.org/ to learn more.
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Review our press kit and for additional media inquiries, contact Lindsay McGuire, Assistant Director of Advancement – Branding & Outreach, at lmcguire@themilkbank.org or 317-536-1670 ext. 114.
To learn more about how The Milk Bank can serve infants in your community or to support The Milk Bank, visit themilkbank.org.
