Mission and Vision

What sets Mary’s Hands Network (MHN) apart is not just what we do—but how and why we do it. At the heart of MHN is a powerful vision: to build a thriving, connected network where every birthing person is surrounded by care, dignity, and advocacy from people who truly see them. We are more than a doula program—we are a movement rooted in community, equity, and service.

Every MHN client is supported by a team of 2–3 trained volunteer doulas, carefully matched to walk with them through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Our team model fosters not only more reliable and consistent support for clients, but also encourages community-building, professional growth, and collaboration among doulas. Volunteers stay in contact with one another, share strategies and shifts, and reflect on care plans together, creating a dynamic model of peer learning and mutual accountability.

When someone receives services from MHN, they’re not just being assigned a support person, they’re being embraced by a circle of care. Our doulas are community members supporting community members, invested in each client’s story, health, and empowerment.

MHN is a safety net, accepting clients up to our capacity with no barriers based on income, insurance, or immigration status. Our services are always free. Every birth is viewed as an opportunity to center the client’s autonomy and rewrite generational stories of trauma, neglect, or silence with care, dignity, and voice.

Our diverse network includes women of all backgrounds: teachers, nurses, mothers, birthworkers, students, survivors, and grandmothers—bringing a wealth of lived experience and cultural wisdom to the birthing space. Many of our volunteers are also professional doulas in the community, mentoring newer doulas and expanding support across hospital systems, clinics, and birth centers.

MHN collaborates directly with hospitals, birth centers, and health professionals across the region, not just to establish our work but to continuously refine it. We believe in active listening, cultural humility, and shared learning. This openness has made MHN a trusted bridge between families and care providers, increasing communication, advocacy, and respectful care inside clinical systems.

Our doulas receive ongoing education and professional development, including opportunities to learn from one another and from leaders in the maternal health space. We proudly support the professionalization of doula work, knowing that the field must grow to meet the rising demand for culturally congruent, trauma-informed, community-rooted support. We are excited to see more independent doulas, collectives, co-ops, and organizations emerge, and we are committed to supporting that evolution while keeping the heart of our service rooted in community.

We offer low-cost or free birth doula training to community members who join and actively serve in our volunteer network. Our comprehensive course meets the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) training requirement for certification, and we provide all necessary materials, supplies, and meals to ensure no one is left out due to financial barriers.

💡 Scholarships are available for full tuition coverage, see our “Training” section for more details on how to qualify.
 

From the beginning, MHN has taken bold, intentional steps to combat maternal health disparities. From increasing rates of breastfeeding, to reducing NICU admissions, to decreasing preventable complications and birth trauma, our model is making a measurable difference in birth outcomes, and in how people feel as they give birth.