New Milk Depot opens at Andrew County Health Department in Savannah

SAVANNAH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- A new Milk Depot has officially opened at the Andrew County Health Department in Savannah, Missouri, expanding access for approved breast milk donors in the region.

Operated in partnership with The Milk Bank, a nonprofit milk bank serving Missouri, this site is the 18th Milk Depot in the state and the first to open in Andrew County.

The Milk Depot is now open to the public. Approved donors can drop off milk Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Andrew County Health Department, located at 106 North 5th Street, Savannah, Missouri.

A grand opening celebration will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The celebration will take place during World Breastfeeding Week, a global campaign that promotes education, awareness and community support for breastfeeding and human milk donation.

The Milk Depot provides a convenient drop-off location where pre-screened donors can contribute excess breast milk. Once collected, the milk is sent to The Milk Bank’s processing facility, where it is analyzed, pasteurized, tested for safety and distributed to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the state.

This donor milk provides essential nutrition to premature and medically fragile infants—those born too small or too sick to breastfeed.

Founded in 2005, The Milk Bank is a non-profit organization that dispenses over 600,000 ounces of pasteurized donor human milk each year to hospitals and families across the region.

To date, it has provided over 15.6 million feedings to vulnerable infants. The Milk Bank follows safety protocols guided by the CDC and FDA and is a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA).

To keep up with growing demand, The Milk Bank screens more than 150 new milk donors every month. Just one ounce of donated milk can provide up to three feedings for a premature infant.

Those interested in becoming a milk donor can begin the pre-screening process or learn more about eligibility by visiting themilkbank.org/donate-milk.