One of the things that makes MOMS Club different is the bond members form. So, when Hannah share with the members of the MOMS Club of Albuquerque-Sandia Valley, NM that her daughter, Olivia, had been diagnosed with leukemia, they instantly rallied around her. At a time when all her energy needed to go to supporting her daughter – they would support her.
Immediately, they organized months worth of meals for the family. Members reached out to help with various errands like grocery shopping and trips to the library. Then they turned to their financial needs. The chapter began working with Olivia’s former preschool to raise funds to help the family with their mounting expenses. One member’s daughter even hosted her own lemonade stand to help raise additional funds.
But the chapter wanted to do more. They reached out through Facebook to get ideas for other things they could do to help the family. The response was overwhelming. MOMS Club members from around the world offered ideas, advice and support. After sorting through dozens of ideas, they settled on hosting a read/listen-a-thon. Since so many chapter member’s children were not yet reading – they wanted to be sure that everyone was able to participate. The entire event was pulled together quite quickly because the chapter wanted to run the read-a-thon during the holidays.
A read-a-thon can be a very inexpensive way for a chapter to raise money. Each participant just requires a pledge sheet and a way to track the books they read which they can easily download and print themselves. Providing a template that participants can use to contact family and friends to get their support can also be helpful as well as various social media hubs where participants can rally and support each other. Finally, having the option to allow people to simply donate has also proven to be effective for the Albuquerque-Sandia Valley moms since their read-a-thon just started and donations have already started coming in.
Best of luck on your event! Our thoughts are with Olivia and we all hope she smooth recovery.