What do you do when you move to a new state within days of arriving? Hold a chapter launch party for your new MOMS Club of course! This crazy idea was actually months in the making. When my husband received orders for Ft Hood my initial reaction was to jump on the computer and see if a MOMS Club chapter was in the area. I belonged to the amazingly supportive MOMS Club of Grovetown, GA at the time and was hoping to find another MOMS Club in Killeen, TX that was equally incredible. I was so disappointed to find that Killeen did NOT have one! Well, I HAD to have a MOMS Club, so I started the paperwork before even leaving Georgia! As soon as I got the binder I thought “What have I gotten myself into!?!” But I had a lot of support and advice from Grovetown to start me off. I am STILL contacting them weekly for help and support!

The biggest thing I had to figure out was how to get the word out that MOMS Club had arrived to Killeen. I think being new to the area was an advantage here. I was looking at the town and its resources from the stand point of a newcomer. I tried to email the editors of local newspapers and tried calling them as well, as was suggested in the MOMS Club binder. But I wasn’t getting through to anyone. I decided to try messaging their Facebook pages. Within hours someone got back to me requesting more information and setting up a photographer and journalist to attend our Open House. The ball finally started rolling. I also had an immediate response from an area event page on Facebook. I soon realized that Facebook, was going to be a great asset in getting the word out about our club. Within hours of Fort Hood Area Events Page sharing our Open House information on Facebook. Our MOMS Club Facebook inbox was flooded with inquiries!

At our Open House, the journalist and photographer took their time and made the rounds talking to all who came. They didn’t rush and were really interested in what we had to offer the community. April, the journalist, still keeps in touch with me and is on standby for any future events we will have that we think she would like to cover!I plan on calling her up for our Fall membership drive to get the word out again.

MOMS Club of Killeen is still just starting out, we have had only our second monthly meeting, but we are growing steadily and I am very proud of our progress. Facebook has proven to be our biggest promotional asset. Between weekly, sometimes daily posting and teaming up with other Facebook Pages in the Killeen/Ft.Hood area to spread the word about our public events, we have been able to increase our membership. Facebook is a venue of information that virtually everyone uses, it is a great place to start when trying to spread information about MOMS Club. Just be vigilant in protecting members private information and Facebook can help promote your club and increase membership.

Submitted by: Christina, MOMS Club of Killeen, TX

You can read more about Killeen’s open house in the Killeen Daily Herald.