American Mothers With Real Modern-day Heroes!

Thank you, California American Mothers, for allowing us to listen and learn from two real, modern day super heroes! Tim Ballard www.ourrescure.org and Elizabeth Smart! The best quote or advice of the weekend for me was given to Elizabeth Smart by her Mother the day after she had been rescued. "Elizabeth… your captors took nine months of your life from you. You will never get it back but the best thing you can do is not give them another day of your life!" What great advice for all of us. Look forward after going through adversity. Never let the bad that has happened ruin our present and future.

California American Mothers gives Service to USC Medical Center NICU Department

PIctures of our trip to the USC Medical Center as we delivered new baby kits to new mothers. Some of the babies in the NICU were as small as  3 pounds. What a marvelous hospital this is and they do so many good things for these families! 

Thank you USC Medical Center for allowing us to do our small part for you 

while you do so much for everyone you serve!

Ideas for Service

So many of you have ask what kind of projects to do in your areas that I feel a list of ideas would be most helpful to you. These are only a few and will probably give you a starting point or better yet spark an idea of your own.  I believe in the old saying that goes... "Great ideas are seldom original but borrowed!" I say... "That's what life is all about."  Follow those who have gone before you and build upon the past of others. You are most welcome to add comments to this post and share your ideas with all of us.

1. Get to know your community. What organizations are already in place that help women and children? Why start something new if you can help one that is already in place. Find out their needs and help in those areas.

2. Contact your local library to see if they will partner with you on a lecture series for mothers while their children are at reading time in the library.  Contact local professionals in the areas with expertise in motherhood and parental guidance that all young mothers need to augment their skills. Those professionals will give a level of expertise to the lectures.

3. Contact the local Children's Social Services to see if there is anything you can do for them.  I heard of one group who collected stuffed animals and made blankets to give to small children when they were taken out of their home because of court order.  The blanket and small animal were a comfort to the children at a time of unrest in their lives.

4. Call your local school district to see if there are programs in place for after-school that you may help with.  One organization in our community has a complete mentoring program for children who have no one at home after school.  They provide tutoring to help with homework as well as a safe place for them to be.  Many items can be donated to groups like this.

5. Have a book drive to give to the local homeless family shelters in your area.

6. Look on the internet for service ideas. We live in a wonderful time when the world is at your fingertips.  Ideas are plentiful and shared by everyone.

7. If your group of American Mothers is small, partner with a local community women's organization or Faith Community.  See if their group would be willing to work with you on an idea you have set up and created.  Not only will you make many new friends but you will also let them be aware of what American Mothers is all about.

8. Contact the local county hospital and see if they are in need of baby items for the mothers who come in to have their babies yet have nothing to put on them when they take them home from the hospital.  Our local American Mothers just delivered over 200 baby kits to the local county hospital.  They were overjoyed with our donation to them.  Those baby kits will be greatly appreciated.

9. Have a block party on your street to organize a project for the community that you as neighbors can work together on.

10. Involve your family! I cannot think of a better way to teach children to think of others as when they serve others themselves.  

Most of all remember that service in a personal thing as well as a group activity. "Have I done any good in the world today?"... is the question we should ask ourselves.  Doing service is more fun with others are involved and fills our need as women to be with other women.  Laughter, love and unity is what makes us whole.  Good luck in your adventures of service.  Many hands lighten the load. 

 by Bev Nelson, California American Mother's President. 

Chapter Area Happenings... Inland Valley

Next workshop to benefit newborns at Los Angeles County Hospital.  Thanks to the generous donations of Mesa residents we have adequate flannel material supply and a supply of onesies. We now only need boy and girl sleepers.  

Last night the volunteer cutters, ironers, material coordinators, pinners, sewing machine operators, and assemblers prepared 12 packets of items for newborns while enjoying the fellowship of their neighbors.

From Renee Starr.... Inland Valley

Chapter Area Happenings... Santa Barbara

It's Back to School Time! Out in Valencia we are helping a Single Mothers Outreach fill 300 backpacks by August 10th. They are in need of crayons, pens, pencils, colored pencils, rulers, spiral notebooks, folders, glue, and erasers If anyone has items to donate please drop off at my house or contact me for pickup Much appreciated!!

From Darcy Ure from the Santa Barbara Chapter

Chapter Area Happenings

These are pictures of the American Mothers/ Mesa Oaks resident's first humanitarian workshop for the month of June in Covina, California.  The flannel blankets that we are making for distressed, preemie and babies from struggling families are so.......cute!  We bought some new and slightly used onsies and sleepers and washed and ironed them.  Then we put the three items in a gallon size Ziploc baggie with a note enclosed saying "Lovingly made by the American Mothers and the Mesa Oaks residents".  

We had such a blast.  The neighbors were so grateful that someone who knew what she was doing could organize these workshops for them.  They expressed that they always wanted to do something humanitarian, but didn't know how to go about doing it.  We worked the scheduled 1 1/2 hours but no one wanted to leave.  We ended up working 3 hours.  Some of us will be going on a field trip to the Los Angeles County Hospital where these packets will be donated to.  Next week is our 2nd workshop.  The board of directors for our neighborhood are now talking about donating to humanitarian efforts on an annual basis.  I think that when we put forth the effort to organize things that people will do what ever they can to support it.  There are a lot of good people in the world. 

Delivering Baby Blankets

After months of work and many volunteers here are some of us delivering 50 blankets and baby kits to a local organization that educates unwed mothers. What a great service they do to teach these young girls about the changes that will happen once they become mothers. It is our pleasure as American Mothers Inc. to help this organization.

Chapter Area Happenings

Temecula, Hemet, San Diego: When considering what type of service project to do, I felt inspired to keep it local and invite women in the community to help. I came across a foster agency called Angels, which is specific to San Diego County. They are an amazing nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to make a difference in our foster system. They place young children in homes where the foster parents are physically and financially responsible for caring for the child. No state or federal money is given to these families for assistance. I was touched by the mission of this organization and decided to make and donate tag blankets that will be used as security blankets for children being placed through their foster agency. These children are usually moved around a few times before finding their long term placement with Angels and I wanted to provide the children with a source of security that will travel with them wherever they go. The tag blankets are underway! I have gathered materials and have made a few examples. With a wonderful group of women from my church and the community, we are planning to get together in May and make as many tag blankets as we can to donate to Angels!           Stephanie McKnight

Upland, Fontana, Rancho, Redlands, Loma Linda, Yucaipa, Calimesa, Beaumont: We will be attending the tour of Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital in May. This is the facility that Eleanor Francis Smith started as her project when she was national Mother of theYear in 1936.  What a wonderful project it was... one that has helped thousands of children and adults over the years.  We also are planning a meeting in June to have a speaker inviting other mothers in our area to attend.  This next week we are delivering 50 blankets to a women’s family shelter that also teaches mothering classes to unwed mothers.  When the girls complete the course they receive a blanket for their new baby. We are also starting a monthly lecture series at our local library on different topics of parenting taught by professionals in their topic area. Finally in November we have made the initial contacts to honor mothers whose sons and daughters are serving in the military.  We will keep you posted on this idea and let you know how it is going.

                                                                                                                                 Bev Nelson 

Chapter Area Happenings

What’s Happening in our Different Areas!

La Canada: Lois Johnson (she played the violin during lunch at the gala) will speak at our local meeting here.  She has agreed and I just need to set a time. She is a great mother, has 5 amazing children, the 4th of which is leaving soon to serve as a missionary.  She is losing her eyesight but continues to lead the choir, cook, travel and be very involved in her children's lives.  She also volunteers taking suicide crisis calls.  Time and location to be announced.                                                                                                                   Dorothy DeVore                  

LaVerne, Glendora, San Dimas, West Covina and Covina:  We had a neighborhood meeting where my husband spoke about each home being prepared for a minimum of 3 weeks to 3 months in the event of an emergency.   He then announced me, Renee Starr, as Mother of the Year and asked me to speak.  I told them that one of my neighborhood projects is humanitarian aid for distressed babies at L.A. County Hospital starting next month at my house.  People are wanting to help and are wanting to donate material.  I need flannel, but I will take what ever I can get at first.  Eventually I can pass on cotton fabric if any other chapters could use that.  Fliers sent out to neighborhoods regarding needed things are a great way to supply each chapter with what they need.  People really want to donate.  I asked for material, thread, yarn, newborn onsies and sleepers, new or barely used.  I'm getting excited. Please share that with the other chapters. A meeting is also planned on June 20th. We’ve asked Bev Nelson to introduce CAAMI to those who are interested in joining. Time and location to be announced.                                                             Renee Starr