Coalition Spotlight: Euness Cirino

Phoebe McIntosh 
Vital Village Networks Community Mobilization AmeriCorps VISTA

Supporting Breastfeeding Families from the Heart of the Community

“The Coalition makes it clear that breastfeeding is a community thing. It’s not just about moms, it’s about dads, aunties, teachers, and neighbors understanding and supporting the journey…  When the whole community sees breastfeeding as normal and important, women feel less alone.”

For Euness Cirino, supporting breastfeeding families isn’t just a profession; it’s a personal journey rooted in lived experience, family, and a passion for helping others. A Boston resident who migrated from Puerto Rico at the age of four, Euness has spent much of her life working with families across the city, drawing on her own story to guide others in their lactation journeys.

Her introduction to lactation work began with the birth of her first child. Like many new parents, she expected breastfeeding to come naturally but faced early challenges when her baby struggled to latch. With the support of a hospital midwife who guided her through hand expression and latching, Euness found her footing and discovered a calling to help other parents navigate their own paths.
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She spent 15 years in early childhood education, supporting parents and children, before pursuing formal lactation support. Though she didn’t land her first peer counselor role, Euness continued her journey through postpartum struggles, home visiting roles at the Dimock Center, and eventually completing her Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) training. Through Vital Village Networks, she deepened her learning, renewed her certification, and built meaningful community connections.

Euness credits Vital Village and the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition with helping her strengthen her hands-on lactation skills. Through volunteer work with Baby Cafés, ROSE and Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS) trainings, and community events, she gained confidence applying her knowledge in real time. One of her proudest moments came when she helped her younger sister breastfeed after a cesarean birth. Guiding her through latching and advocating for her in the hospital was a powerful reminder of how personal, compassionate support can make a difference.

For Euness, breastfeeding is not just a personal choice but a community practice. In her recent work at Smart from the Start, she facilitated prenatal education and family engagement groups, centering breastfeeding support for underserved families. Now certified as a CBS and Community Health Worker, she envisions a future where breastfeeding support is accessible and where families feel empowered in their feeding choices. Her vision is clear: a world where Black and Brown parents feel seen, heard, and supported by lactation providers who reflect their communities and lived realities. “Not everyone has a positive experience in the hospital,” she shares. “I want to be the person who makes a difference.”

Euness dreams of building her own lactation support business but remains first and foremost committed to helping families thrive. For now, she continues walking her path, supporting families, gaining experience, and working toward peaceful, connected communities where breastfeeding is valued and shared. In her community-based work and vision, Euness carries forward the Coalition’s commitment to building a future where breastfeeding is supported by community care and shared understanding.

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