A mothers' group bucks business interests to go to bat for paid sick days.
By Maureen Turner
The Valley Advocate, Thursday, October 13, 2011

Dear Mo, 

Thank you for your powerful article on the necessity of passing paid sick leave policy in our state to provide fair access to sick days for workers. We know that earned paid sick time will provide necessary supports to mothers and fathers who are often the primary bread winner and caregiver in their famlies.

We, at MotherWoman, want to clarify part of Ms. Turner's article in which she gave us credit for facilitating support groups throughout the region and specifically in the prison. We train professsionals and lay leaders in the MotherWoman Support Group Model and they, in turn, are able to use the training as one tool in their tool box as facilitators or to run groups through their own organizations and in the communities they serve. The support group for incarcerated moms at the women's correctional center in Chicopee is administered and run by the Prison Birth Project, not by MotherWoman.

The Prison Birth Project is doing extraordinary work on behalf of currently and formerly incarcerated women. We are thankful for the many contributions they make to the social and economic justice movements in Massachusetts. For more information about The Prison Birth Project go to www.theprisonbirthproject.org

We would greatly appreciate if you would print this correction in the next edition of the Valley Advocate.

Thank you very much
.

Sincerely,

Liz Friedman, Program Director

Beth Spong, Executive Director

MotherWoman

- Meg Baker

13 years ago, while bringing the oldest of her three sons to the Amherst Family Center, Meg Baker agreed to participate in the first drop-in MotherWoman support group. The rest is history. 

Click flier to download PDF version.

For years, mothers from Berkshire County have been traveling to Northampton for the only postpartum support group in the region to receive much needed support when in postpartum emotional crisis.  Now thanks to the leadership of Gathered Resources of Women (GROW), a Berkshire-based support organization for mothers, things are changing.  Alisa Blanchard and Liz Oakes, leaders from GROW, recently graduated from MotherWoman's Facilitator Training in spring 2011 and have begun a group for mothers needing support during the postpartum period.  Spread the word!  

Postpartum Support: This is Harder than I Thought 
MotherWoman Group offered by GROW

Stay tuned for the national response to this perspective!

More information on the conference at postpartum.net

Letter written from Denise Andrews, State Representative, Second Franklin District to Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Developement.

Reporter Amanda Korman covers the newly formed Berkshire Postpartum Coalition, the Postpartum Support Group that has just begun in Pittsfield, and the Barriers to Care Study being performed by MotherWoman and the University of Massachusetts Medical School at Worcester.  Congratulations to all who helped make this article a reality and for sharing your experience, expertise and perspective! 

Read the full article. Berkshire Eagle Subscription may be required.

Amherst, MA – If you are a mom or a professional serving mothers  in Western Massachusetts, chances are, you have heard about MotherWoman. You may have benefited from its programs, or know of someone who received help and support from this regional nonprofit. Thanks to a recent $100,000 capacity building grant from the Lennox Foundation, MotherWoman will now be able to positively impact more moms and families, and expand its training programs for professionals.

 “MotherWoman’s philosophy is simple: When a mother is valued and supported, everyone benefits - her children, her family, her community and her workplace,” says Founder, Annette Cycon.  

Since its inception in 1999 MotherWoman has been able to positively impact the lives of thousands of women through a growing network of support groups. Its training programs have been very successful in educating medical, mental health and social service providers about the variety of challenges women may experience in the postpartum period.

A spokesperson for the Lennox Foundation described their decision to award this large grant by saying, "We were very impressed with the progress MotherWoman made two years ago with a much smaller capacity building grant. The high impact capacity building projects the grant is funding will make the organization more sustainable and increase the effectiveness of their important work. We're happy to support MotherWoman's continued growth."

Demand for MotherWoman’s groundbreaking support group facilitator training and other professional trainings continues to increase. The Lennox Foundation grant will help MotherWoman refine its strategy for growth and development. “MotherWoman is experiencing rapid growth in response to our programs’ effectiveness and our skill at coalition building. It is essential that we be strategic about our growth in order to better serve more mothers and families in need in Western MA. This generous grant from the Lennox Foundation will help us achieve that goal.” says Beth Spong, MotherWoman’s Executive Director.

If you are a mom looking for help during the postpartum period, or a professional wishing to learn more about postpartum emotional challenges, please contact MotherWoman or visit our website: www.motherwoman.org, circle@motherwoman.com, (413) 253 8990.

ABOUT MOTHERWOMAN, INC. 

MotherWoman’s mission is to support and empower mothers to create positive personal and social change for themselves, their families, their communities and the world. MotherWoman also addresses the socio-economic issues facing American mothers by advocating for family-friendly policy. Says Beth Spong, MotherWoman’s Executive Director, “Through our support groups, training programs and political action, we’re working to ensure that every mother has access to the support she needs in her community.”

MotherWoman programs include:

• Mothers Groups - Led by trained facilitators, these support groups offer a chance to talk openly about the challenges of parenting, gain support and build community.
• Postpartum Support Initiative – Creates a comprehensive safety net for mothers through a network of specialized support groups, resource and referral guides, and building Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Coalitions in the four counties of Western MA.
• Facilitator Training – A 35-hour training that provides diverse community leaders and professionals with the skills needed to offer new MotherWoman Support Groups.
• Professional Training – Teaches medical and social service providers about the complex mental health and socio-political factors involved in the crisis of postpartum anxiety and depression.
• Policy and Advocacy – Nonpartisan political program which organizes mothers, fathers and caregivers to take action on issues impacting families. 

A workshop for the non-birthing partner to explore issues related to pregnancy, birth, the postpartum period, and parenting.

First session Tuesday June 14th, 7:00-9:00pm, Cooley Dickinson Center for Midwifery Care

• Free of charge
• Facilitated by experienced parents/partners
• First partner group using the MotherWoman Support Group Model ! 

For registration or more information, contact Kate Bohne at: 413-687-5817 or Katherine_Bohne@cooley-dickinson.org

MotherWoman Staff Financial Manager, 

Leandra is a hard working mama with a positive "glass half full attitude" and big smile on her face every day. She has been an important member of the MotherWoman team for 4 years, first as our Board Treasurer, then as staff Financial Manager. She is leaving MotherWoman in June.

Leandra is a third generation Amherst native, a graduate of Amherst HS class '86. "I was a very young mom. What inspires me about MotherWoman is that mothers can have a place to go where they can talk honestly about both the joys of motherhood and how hard it can be."  Leandra and her husband Tim have a big blended family with 7 children, ages 30 - 15, and three grandchildren. 

Leandra is the owner of Second Chances Kid's Consignment Shop in South Amherst. She offers high quality children's consignment clothing and educational toys. The store will be currently going through an expansion in the same location on Pomeroy St, which will include a community space for mother's groups! 

MotherWoman is indebted to Leandra for her skill, financial expertise, patience, and countless hours with our financial books. We will miss her dearly!

On May 19^th, twenty-eight of MotherWoman's supporters and colleagues in the fields of fundraising, marketing and nonprofit management joined us for an inspiring evening of brainstorming. We put this talented group of men and women to work thinking strategically about four key topics - marketing, development and social media and future possibilities. Energy was high and the room was buzzing with excitement!

Participants got to weigh in on three of the four topics, and we captured tremendous new ideas. One of the most exciting aspects of the evening was hearing the blend of great questions and innovative suggestions each conversation generated.  Amy Gilburg of Gilburg Leadership, Inc., made an artistic graphic recording of the evening's process and outcomes. We are so grateful to Amy and all those who joined us!!

Event Photography by Tamara Bowman