What’s a mother to do?
That question has probably been asked from the time mothers could talk but one answer to that question for local mothers of preschoolers who either stay at home or work part-time is the Monument MOMS Club — also known as Moms Offering Moms Support.
“We’re a part of MOMS Clubs International,” said local club president Jenn Magee. “We help moms of young children by providing activities.”
The club members not only talk to each other as parents but they also network in other ways.
“The other day one of our moms needed someone to repair her furnace,” Magee said. “We sent out a mass email for suggestions and she was able to find what she needed.”
Currently there are 32 moms in the club and they plan three to five activities per week, usually in the mornings this time of year.
“Activities slow down during the holidays because people are busy and the older kids will be out of school,” Magee said. “We have a Yahoo Group Page where our calendar is posted. Moms send RSVPs to whoever is hosting the activity they want to attend.”
The club has dues, $25 per year, but mothers who can’t afford them can ask for a waiver. “There is just a little form they fill out,” Magee said. “When (prospective members) ask for information they receive a letter with general information and a current events calendar. They just show up at an event and if they choose to join they can fill out the registration form and pay their dues then. They can come to two events before making the decision to join.”
Magee added that she joined the club three years ago and has been president since July.
“I was new to the area and joined the club because it was an easy way to make new friends, to meet other moms who were in the same situation I was in,” she said. “Stay-at-home-mom doesn’t mean what it used to. Moms don’t want to stay home alone.”
In fact, moms needing to get out to someplace where their babies were welcome is the reason behind the formation of MOMS Clubs. In 1983, Mary James, an at-home mother in California, wanted to meet other at-home mothers and find at-home children to play with her children. When she discovered that there were no organizations that met her needs — meeting during the daytime and welcoming her baby and preschooler — she formed her own club. The idea spread until now there are more than 2,100 MOMS Club chapters in the United States, more than 30 of them in Colorado, and a few international chapters.
The Monument chapter’s boundaries are Palmer Divide (County Line) Road on the north, Baptist Road on the south, Black Forest Road on the east, and Rampart Range Road on the west. This includes the 80132 Monument and 80133 Palmer Lake zip codes, as well as the northern most portion of the 80908 Black Forest zip code.
For information about the Monument MOMS Club, email monumentmomsinfo@gmail.com.
