Saul’s Light Founder Named Kellogg Leadership Fellow

Saul’s Light Founder Named Kellogg Leadership Fellow. Photo provided by Saul’s Light. NEW ORLEANS – Saul’s Light Executive Director and Founder Kimberly Novod has been selected as a fellow for the prestigious W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network. The 18-month fellowship curriculum prepares leaders to rise to the challenges of the time, emphasizing collective leadership

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Advancing Neonatal Health Equity

Novod said her focus during the fellowship will center on advancing neonatal health equity, work she said is already central to Saul’s Light’s mission of supporting families with babies in neonatal intensive care units.

“Overall our mission is advancing neonatal health equity, and we accomplish that by building a network community of social and emotional support to assist neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents,” Novod said. One way the organization works toward that goal is by expanding access to services and resources, with its largest current initiative being a lactation support program that includes the Milk Mobile, peer lactation counselors and material assets.

That approach is reflected in Saul’s Light’s broader efforts to advance equity in neonatal healthcare by ensuring that every NICU and bereaved family has access to financial, emotional and peer support.

The organization recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, a milestone that reflects its growth from a grassroots effort into an established support system for NICU families. Today, Saul’s Light provides peer-to-peer counseling, serves as a liaison between families and NICU teams, supplies grocery and gas cards, and offers other critical assistance to reduce barriers for families during extended hospital stays.

Expanding Programs and Partnerships

Novod said the fellowship will support the organization’s growth by expanding relationships and partnerships both locally and nationally.

“One of the great parts of this fellowship is that it will allow me to connect with other community leaders,” Novod said. “I will be a part of a dynamic group of 80 leaders from the Kellogg Foundation’s priority places of Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New Orleans, Tribal Nations and across the United States, allowing me to network, learn from my fellowship colleagues, explore ways to increase partnerships nationally and locally, and expand our capacity.”

The fellowship aligns with several program expansions already underway, which Novod said are aimed at addressing barriers that can complicate care and decision-making for NICU families. “In addition to lactation support, we are expanding our mental health and language access programs,” Novod said.

Growth, Advocacy and Persistent Gaps

Reflecting on the organization’s evolution over the past decade, Novod said Saul’s Light has expanded significantly in scale, funding and hospital partnerships.

“When I started the organization, there was little community support or community-based support for NICU families and there wasn’t a specific organization addressing those issues,” she said. “Now, we have relationships with all New Orleans metro NICUs, and also with other NICU units across the state, including in Opelousas/Lafayette and Baton Rouge.”

Legislative advocacy has also become part of the organization’s work, Novod said. “Another component of our work is legislative advocacy and we have successfully advocated for the still born tax credit,” she said. She also pointed to the launch of the Milk Mobile, which allows mothers to send pumped milk directly to their NICU babies.

Transportation remains one of the most pressing challenges facing NICU families in the New Orleans region. “There’s a lack of transportation and access to quality transportation,” she said. “One of the biggest obstacles that NICU families face is being able to make it to the NICU to visit their babies.” She said Saul’s Light addresses that gap by providing gas cards or cash assistance to remove transportation barriers.

“Bottom line, our community and legislators need to know more about what NICU families are going through so that we can develop stronger and more permanent solutions,” Novod said.