During our holiday getaway, I was able to reflect on what matters the most and that is family and community. What a gift we have to be able to spend so much time with our children in these first years of life and yet sometimes we can take this for granted, getting caught up in the day-to-day grind of not only raising our children but keeping up with our house chores, accounting, shopping, general life maintenance, care of our partners and other members of the family, etc.
What a blessing it is to have the fellowship of mothers in the MOMS Club of East Nashville, TN to help stay grounded and focused on being more present with our children and one another, and giving back to our community which gives us so much.
I am in awe of our collective spirit and in the relationships that form within our Club both large and small. This support group has changed my life for the better and I am so thankful for all of you who contribute to it in your own special ways.
Upon joining the MOMS Club, very shortly after moving to Nashville last year, I was drawn not only to what mothers give to one another throughout the Club, but also within the larger community, positively affecting mothers, children, and families they don’t even know. It is an honor to be a part of such a dynamic group. A large part of our support is shown through the service projects we do throughout the year.
Our most recent Winter Service Project, Christmas Fest 2010, was a huge success. Congratulations to our entire chapter and the Community Service Committee for joyfully collaborating on this festive fair, which raised a total of $800.00 that was donated evenly between the East Nashville Hope Exchange and The Real Moms of East Nashville.
Our Bake Sale rocked the house with the most money raised followed by our Chance Raffle, Kid’s Crafts, general donations, and Gift Wrapping services. And that’s not all! Our member vendor fees raised a total of $300.00 for the East Nashville Cooperative Ministries, which all in all received $3,000.00 from the entire event!
A total of 47 members from our chapter participated and contributed in myriad ways giving gifts of time, supplies, raffle prizes, ideas, and more! And we were able to secure 25 businesses and individuals to contribute supplies and raffle prizes. What a fantastically collective event that has made a lasting impact, has brought so many folks together from the community, and which has truly been an inspiration to me.
I will end with some touching food for thought from Reverend Britton of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church and the East Nashville Hope Exchange: “May your support for each other grow deeper as you celebrate the wonder of motherhood and address the needs of our community.”
May we continue to nurture one another throughout this New Year, may we be more present in the lives of our children and among our families, and may we continue to honor the extraordinary power of giving back to our community.
Submitted by:
Alice, President
MOMS Club of East Nashville Tennessee (photo by Wren, Historian)