Community Outreach

For the past few months I have been questioning, "Is there more I can do? Is there more I can be involved in?" To answer that simply... Of course! I have been having this overwhelming feeling of needing more in my life. I need more purpose in life besides just being a wife and mother. I hesitate to use the word "just" for fear it may sound like this is no tall order. I am proud to be all of these but sometimes we just need more and I think it will make me a better wife, mother and friend to boot. I am not very involved in much of anything (from playgroups to MNO, to outreach) I don't work outside the home, I don't earn compensation and I think this causes me to feel more like I don't make much of a difference in this world and have no purpose outside of raising kids and being a wife and friend.

I have been a member of PAMOM for 3 years and one thing I have done for a couple of years now is mentor PAMOM expectant MOM's. PAMOM partners up MOM's who have multiples with MOM's who are expecting. This is a great way to help out a fellow MOM and "give back". When I was pregnant with my triplets, I had a mentor as well and it was such a wonderful thing to have my own mentor to ask questions and turn to because she had "been there, done that".

I have started to make a few changes by adding various activities to my life such as: joining MOPS and becoming more involved with PAMOM (attended my first meeting in 1 1/2 years last night). At the last MOPS meeting we did a community service craft, decorating aprons for hospitalized kids with cancer, and at the PAMOM meeting, we pinned purple ribbons for domestic violence awareness month. I look forward to more adventures with MOPS including dressing the kids up in Halloween costumes and visiting a local nursing home. It really is rewarding to "give back" and those on the receiving end are benefiting too. I encourage you to do so. But no judgment from me if you don't. The purpose of this post isn't to "brag" although it may appear that way. The purpose of this post is to share my thoughts with you and encourage you and also to ask you to share any outreach opportunities that are important to you.

As time and my schedule permits, I would like to become more involved in community outreach programs that are special to me and maybe even take on leadership position in the future.

MOPS & MOPPETS

A friend invited me to join her mops group at a church in Allen and I am so glad I did. The cost is low and it is 2 Fridays a month from September thru April. It lasts for 2 hours in the morning and is very much needed to give me a regular break throughout the month. Each mom helps with the MOPPETS (the children), on a rotation, two times during the year. Today was the first time I have visited (I missed the first meeting) and I really enjoyed it.

Getting the kids and I ready and out the door before 9 a.m. was a challenge as we aren't super early risers in our house. Mommy managed and we even got there early which was a good thing because I had to find where to go and get all the essential paperwork filled out etc.

The kids were kind of clingy at first but by the time I took them to their class they did great and nobody cried when I left them. They had a good time too - playing with other kids and being in a different environment. The teachers do crafts with the kids, learn Bible verses and learn about Jesus.

After dropping the kids off, I went in with the ladies and found my table. Met several new moms in my group and immediately fit right in. Everyone was all very friendly and welcoming. There are about 10-12 ladies in our group and we sit together each time we meet, chat a little over a wonderful breakfast, I might add (the groups rotate bringing breakfast), watched a video (this week), we do crafts (today was decorating aprons for hospitalized children with cancer), we have a speaker (this week - Larissa Linton, the founder of a charity organization called Heroes for Children shared her personal story of losing her first born child to a rare form of leukemia at the age of 3.

This charity specifically focuses on supporting families of children with cancer. She spoke to us about how important it is that we teach our children philanthropy. Here are a few ideas, shared by Larissa, to involve your children in philanthropy: talk to your children about it; create a collection jar of loose change to donate; donate items; create goody bags; make art; hold a lemonade stand, book or cookie sale; donate to a charity in lieu of gifts; attend an event; be creative.)

After the speaker shared about her story and organization, we had a little more time to chat, plan events and discuss the questions from our reading. We have a book to read between meetings called "Momology - A Mom's Guide to Shaping Great Kids". I have quite a bit of catching up to do since I came in late but I look forward to reading it. :)

In addition to meeting 2 Fridays a month, the group gets together for playgroups and mom's night out and I am looking forward to attending these and getting to know these ladies as well as my kids "getting to know" the other kids.