GALS Core Values

Our Core Values express who we are as an organization.

We interact with kindness, non-judgment and heart.

We cultivate compassion, and believe in showing kindness to all without judgment.
We usher our volunteers through this emotional work and model self-care & kindness.
We do our part to recognize and meet the needs of a laboring person, ultimately trusting their journey and holding their desires without pushing our agenda.
We hold space for parents and each other to process intense experiences and to foster growth.
We are dedicated members of the community who have an interest in volunteering our time to support mothers during childbirth. We are parents, students, professionals, friends, and warm-hearted souls who have committed to the GALS mission.

We provide practical, accessible, & nurturing care.

We believe that no one should have to birth alone and we provide comfort and companionship to any birthing person that requests support, including physical, emotional and informational support during prenatal, birth and postpartum periods.
Our support is continuous, trustworthy, and mindful of the birthing person’s needs
We are accessible to all birthing people, breaking through barriers that prevent people from obtaining the support they need.
We are dependable and accessible to the community and to each other.
We strive to be a positive change-maker in the healthcare community for lower-income people.

We champion others in their own power & choice.

We believe that all birthing people are capable parents.
We aim to decrease poor maternal and child outcomes by holding space for families, providing informational support, and expanding choice so that they can make informed and educated decisions about their health. This increases a person’s confidence in speaking up for themselves and their needs during labor.
- Research shows that parents who receive doula support feel more secure, have greater self confidence, lower incidence of abuse and postpartum depression, and have greater success with breast/chestfeeding.
- Studies have shown that when a person feels supported during childbirth, they feel empowered and is more confident in their abilities to parent.
We foster courage and strength in our volunteers as they make sacrifices to support families.
We trust our volunteers to hold themselves as GALS to the highest standards, following our SOP, and seeking help when needed.
We provide volunteers with high quality, ongoing training and opportunities for career advancement.

We believe in the inherent dignity of every person.

Birthing people have a right to humane treatment and respect in birth.
We meet clients where they are, honoring their choice of where and how to birth.
GALS volunteers are aware of their role in the birthing room and adhere to a Scope of Practice.
We care about those we serve as individuals, and value differences.
No matter the circumstance, we honor and value every person we work with.

We know we are stronger together.

We make connections with hospital staff, nurses, clinics and other support services and connect families to community resources as needed.
We strive to be a trusted and integral part of the birth team
We believe healthy families create strong communities.
Through receiving support during their childbirth experience, people will have an increased belief and trust in themselves and their innate ability to parent, and that will change the culture of the community and create an infinite impact on the families of tomorrow.
We support and collaborate with the doula community by training newer doulas and providing them new experiences, connecting volunteers with prenatal and postpartum clients through partnerships and collaborations.