Pregnancy
The Friendship Project

What is the Friendship Project?
What are the goals of the Friendship Project?
Who is the Friendship Project designed for?
What does the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation offer to Friendship Project sites?
How can you implement the Friendship Project in your community?

Every pregnant woman can use an extra laugh, an extra how are you doing, an extra person just to talk and relate to... That's what the Friendship Project is all about.

What is the Friendship Project?

The Friendship Project is a social support program that pairs volunteers with pregnant women to provide emotional and social support throughout pregnancy and up to six weeks after delivery. Volunteers provide this social and emotional support through phone contact, visits and activities. Pregnant women of any age are invited to participate as a Mother-to-be. Women interested in volunteering as a Friend to a Mother-to-be must be at least 21 years of age and have experience as a mother or as a friend to others who have been pregnant.

What are the goals of the Friendship Project?

• To offer an innovative, low-no cost, community-based volunteer project
• To provide a variety of women's and children's health educational materials to the community
• To increase emotional and social support given to pregnant women

Who is the Friendship Project designed for?

The Friendship Project is designed for community groups or organizations that work with pregnant women or have the capacity to work with pregnant women in their community. This free program is designed to provide local groups and agencies with a self-directed volunteer opportunity.

Examples of groups or organizations who could implement this program include:

• Sororities
• Churches
• Special Interest groups
• Volunteer organizations
• Community Health Centers
• Any group or organization who has an interest in working with pregnant women

What does the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation offer to Friendship Project sites?

The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation provides the following areas of assistance to Friendship Project sites:

• The Friendship Project Guide - written materials needed to implement this program, including participant forms, marketing and recruitment tools, ideas for managing a volunteer program, and additional resources for friends.
• Bulk materials - a variety of free educational materials about women's and children's health. These materials may be ordered in buld and given to your program participants.

How can you implement the Friendship Project in your community?

To learn more about the Friendship Project and upcoming orientation sessions, please contact

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Last updated: April 2013