Contact:
Beth Spong – Executive Director, MotherWoman
beth@motherwoman.org
Office: (413) 253 8990

MOMS GET A BOOST WITH $100,000 GRANT TO
REGIONAL ORGANIZATION

MotherWoman – a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering mothers receives a major grant to help more mothers in the region create positive personal and social change.

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.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

10am – 12pm

Pittsfield

To participate contact: research@motherwoman.org

Mother’s Day Music Video a Unique Gift To ALL Mothers

MotherWoman celebrates day with powerful music video, online sharing of your mom photo & stories

Nerissa and Katryna Nields

December 7, 2010. TEDWomen Conference - WASHINGTON DC

Almost 500,000 U.S. women and their families (millions globally) suffer from the ‘silent crippler’ known as postpartum depression (PPD). Studies estimate that PPD impacts up to 1 in 5 mothers – triple that of gestational diabetes and pre-term delivery. Yet there is virtually NO screening done for this devastating condition and no comprehensive support for women and their families who often don’t know where to turn for treatment.

TEDWomen asked “How do you want to change the world?” Liz Friedman was selected (out of hundreds of applicants) to attend TEDWomen to share her story. Liz knows firsthand the damaging effects of PPD. Eight years ago after the birth of her first child she experienced the abyss of PPD and came out the other end.

That experience galvanized Liz to co-found the MotherWoman Postpartum Support Initiative – a training program for mothers and health professionals to run transformative support groups for those in postpartum crisis. This replicable model has been highly successful and is now launching on a national scale. Studies have shown that support groups are one of the best, early interventions for mothers experiencing PPD. Yet most mothers do not have access to this kind of support. MotherWoman is on a mission to make this successful model available for every 2,000 births by 2013.

Says Friedman, “I am one of the fortunate ones who can look back and say that I made it through. I am passionate about helping other women find their way out of this crisis. Through guidance by professional- trained leaders and speaking our truth, we can break the stigma of PPD and begin the path to healing”.

Interview With Liz Friedman at TEDWomen Conference AOL Studio Tuesday, December 7th
Liz Friedman is slotted for a short interview at the TEDWomen conference AOL/Blackberry studio on Tuesday, December 7th (time TBD). Please contact Liz for exact timing, or to interview her during and after the conference. Cell: 413-658-8231, liz@motherwoman.org, tweet @MotherWoman.

Facts About Postpartum Depression

• Postpartum Depression is the leading complication for new mothers – affecting 10% - 20% mothers nationally.
• Most mothers are routinely not screened for PPD, offered good information or have help readily available when they need it most.
• Mothers in poverty will experience PPD at a rate as high as 40% - 50%, compared to 10% - 20% for the general population.
• Mothers in the US experience a significantly higher rate of depression than in any other industrialized nation

Download press release pdf

Women in the United States receive 21% less pay on average than our male counterparts.  The Paycheck Fairness Act, which is scheduled for a vote Wednesday, Nov 17th in the U.S. Senate, will provide women with the tools necessary to ensure that we receive the FAIR pay we deserve on payday.  Senator Scott Brown will play a key role in whether this legislation passes or not.

As a committed advocate for mothers in MA, I understand all too well what it REALLY means for a woman to receive 21% less pay than that of her male counterpart.  For mothers, this translates directly into poverty, into crisis, into not enough food for children, into dangerous living conditions and lack of the basics that children need to thrive. 

This means that while mothers are working just as hard as their co-workers at the job, they are dealing with much higher levels of poverty, much higher levels of depression and consequently their children are facing staggering obstacles to receive the most basic supports that we want every child to have: security of home, food and having a mom who is ok.

While the general population of mothers experiences postpartum depression at a 10% rate; new research shows that mothers in poverty experience close to a 50% rate of postpartum depression.

When mom is not ok, the entire family suffers.  We know from research that when mom is struggling and dealing with depression, children are impacted on every level including the brain development of babies, the school-readiness of young children, the behavioral development of adolescents and the cycle of poverty for young adults. 

Senator Brown, I insist that you stand with the women of the Commonwealth and recognize how hard we mothers work to support our families. Protect our right to receive the fair pay we deserve. Let us support our families adequately.  We do not want anything other than what is fair.  We deserve it and you must agree, that most certainly, our children deserve it too. 

Sincerely,

Liz Friedman

Program Director and Founder, Postpartum Support Initiative

This bill’s passage is a milestone for Massachusetts:  our first official recognition that perinatal depressive and anxiety disorders are the most common complication of pregnancy, and demand the attention of our public health system.

POSTPARTUM LEGISLATION:  Legislature Gave Mother’s Day Gift to MA Moms
Screening will be recommended but not mandated

POSTPARTUM LEGISLATION:  Legislature Gave Mother’s Day Gift to MA MomsScreening will be recommended but not mandatedBoston and Amherst - The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Financial Services gave a favorable report to the Postpartum Depression Bill, House Bill 3897 on Friday, May 7th, two days before Mothers’ Day.  The PPD legislation will take its next step forward in the legislative process to the Health Care Finance Committee instead of being stuck in the Financial Services Committee indefinitely.  “Chairmans Peter Koutoujian, Stephen Buoniconti, and the Committee on Financial Services heard from the country’s top experts and from families who have experienced this first-hand, and they acted,” said lead sponsor Representative Ellen Story (D-Amherst), a mother of two and grandmother of one. “This bill is a small but important step in the right direction, because every step forward this bill takes, raises awareness and provides hope for families coping with Postpartum Depression.  What better gift could we get for Mothers’ Day than this?”  Senator Stephen J. Buoniconti, representing parts of Hampden County, is the co-chair of the Financial Services Committee. The bill was revised subsequent to its January 27, 2010 public hearing.  It calls for a legislative task force charged with reviewing practices and resources currently in use in Massachusetts, providing guidance to the Governor and other authorities on national research and best practices in postpartum depression treatment, and holding hearings and meetings to come to recommendations on future policy. The bill now moves to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing for review of its potential economic impacts.  “This is a no-cost bill which will provide empowerment and hope to women and families across the Commonwealth,” said Story.  In it’s original form HB 3897, would have made screening for postpartum depression a  universal occurrence.  In strong consultation with MotherWoman of Amherst, and organizations around the state, Rep. Ellen Story emphasized the importance of screening but has changed critical language in the bill.  The bill no longer mandates that providers must screen during perinatal and postpartum visits.  The new language in the bill states that insurance companies will be mandated to report annually what if any efforts they are making in addressing postpartum depression through screening and other appropriate efforts.“This is an important issue for many of our mothers, community leaders and clinical providers,” says Liz Friedman, Director of the Postpartum Support Initiative of MotherWoman.  “We want to encourage insurance companies to support physicians in providing appropriate care to patients as needed. We want to ensure that mothers have the care, information, education and support they deserve without having the extra burden of labels and mental health stigmas where they are not necessary.” Friedman goes on to say, “We know that providers want to educate, care for and refer mothers appropriately on this key health issue for all mothers.”  Postpartum depression is the number one complication of mothers in the postpartum period.  One in eight mothers will experience postpartum depression.  Mothers who are identified early and receive education and resources, recover much more quickly and are able to thrive in their postpartum months.   "The impact that this legislation will have on mother's health is enormous.  We know from research that when mother's are identified and given resources they will thrive.  When the mother's thrive the baby and the entire family thrive," says Annette Cycon, Founder and Program Director of MotherWoman.  “What a mother’s day gift this is!” says NJ Rongner, mother of 10 month old Malone of Holyoke.  NJ had no idea that she was experiencing a postpartum emotional crisis in the early weeks after her baby’s birth.  She just knew that she was crying all the time and unable to feel connected to her infant son.   During her pregnancy NJ, like all mothers, would have benefited from education, screening, resources and referrals in case of postpartum emotional challenges like postpartum depression. “I faithfully attended childbirth classes with my husband and felt very in control and educated about the different ways to give birth. I knew what would happen and felt like I was very prepared.  No one told me what it was going to be like when I was home all alone with the baby and he is screaming his brains out and nothing I do makes him happy.” Thanks to Rep. Ellen Story, NJ and the women of the Commonwealth got the best Mother’s Day gift anyone could ever wish for:  the Legislature moving the PPD legislation forward so that we are one step closer to all mothers receiving the support they deserve during the critical postpartum months of their babies’ lives.

Contact: Liz Friedman, liz@motherwoman.org, 413-658-8231

This Mother’s Day, you can donate $10 to honor a favorite mother in your life, get a flower, support local businesses, win a chance for a fabulous night on the town, and do some good in the process. That’s the promise of the unique ‘Mothers Are Worth a Million” campaign running April 11th through Mother’s Day, May 9th.
Sponsored by MotherWoman and the Amherst Chamber of Commerce and the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, the campaign aims to raise over $20,000 to provide vital services for mothers in our community while also promoting local businesses.
Here’s how it works: For every $10 you donate, a paper flower bearing the name of a woman you’d like to honor will be hung in the window of a local business with most flowers concentrated in Amherst or Northampton. This flower - celebrating the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and friends in your life - will also provide crucial funding to help mothers in the Pioneer Valley and beyond.  Each donation comes with an acknowledgement card that you can send to the woman you are honoring. 
To sweeten the pot, MotherWoman is announcing two contests:  First is the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire Contest” offered to the business that sells the most flowers.  The winning business will receive a free ¼ page ad for 7 days in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, valued at $300. The second is the “I’m Worth a Million Bucks Contest” offered to the individual who sells the most flowers.  The winner will enjoy the ‘Mother-of-All-Nights-on-the-Town’ package including a $100 gift certificate to Tabellas Restaurant in Amherst, a $50 baby-sitting stipend, a hot tub for two at Elements Hot Tub & Spa, and a one hour massage from Amherst Massage. The total package is worth $300. Now there’s a Mother’s Day present you can relish!
 “This solves the problem of what do I get the mothers in my life for Mother’s Day!”, says  MotherWoman co-founder and Program Director Annette Cycon. "Mothers are Worth a Million offers an affordable, meaningful gift option that will make a difference in the real lives of mothers in our community while also promoting local businesses. It’s a win for everyone and it’s really fun!”
Says Tony Maroulis, Executive Director of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce "We are proud of MotherWoman's efforts to raise funds in a way that benefits local businesses. In this difficult economic time, this is the kind of creative spirit and community building effort we need."
“The fact is, as a business owner my involvement with MotherWoman and this campaign has helped my business. Their enthusiasm and devotion to community is inspiring,” said Leandra Thompson, Owner, Second Chances Consignment Shop, Amherst.

Flowers can be purchased online starting April 11th at mothersareworthamillion.com  as well as through local businesses, at local events and public venues, and through individual sales (cash, checks, PayPal and credit cards accepted).  MotherWoman is also offering participating businesses a generous advertising package, and encourages everyone to visit Amherst and Northampton to tour the beautiful chain of flowers in storefront windows and to patronize local businesses involved in this campaign.  Participating local businesses will be announced online at www.mothersareworthamillion.com  (the business advertising package is also available online).
As part of the campaign, MotherWoman will participate in Northampton Pride, the Amherst Sustainability Fair, and the Fourth Annual Peaceable Planet Mother’s Day Puppet Parade on Sunday, May 10 in Northampton. Mother's Day parade participants will gather at the Bridge Street School at 11am. The parade will start at noon, ending at Pulaski Park where there will be a brief ceremony on honor of Julia Ward Howe, the founder of Mother’s Day.  With lots of puppets this is a very fun, festive event for parents and children. Mothers are Worth a Million flowers will be available for purchase and will be displayed at this event. 
All proceeds from ‘Mothers are Worth a Million’ will benefit MotherWoman, a local organization that empowers mothers to create positive personal and social change through mother's groups, postpartum support and political action. Says Executive Director Melanie DeSilva , “MotherWoman continues to see an increase in the use of our services by diverse mothers throughout the Pioneer Valley, particularly low-income mothers whose numbers continue to grow.  This campaign reflects our motto that we’re all in this together.  Together as a community we can create a safety net for mothers, celebrate Mother’s Day in a genuine way, beautify our communities and support our local businesses. ”
For more information, contact Annette Cycon at MotherWoman at 253-8990 or motherwoman.org.

MotherWoman will hold a press conference on Tuesday, January 26th at 12 noon to discuss House Bill 3897, An Act Relative to Postpartum Depression. The following day, January 27th, over 35 local mothers, fathers and children will join hundreds of advocates in Boston when the  Massachusetts Joint Committee on Financial Services holds a hearing to review this legislation.  

Introduced by Representative Ellen Story, this groundbreaking postpartum legislation ensures pregnant women will be able to receive universal screening and referral to treatment for depression during the perinatal period.  

At the Northampton Press Conference on January 26th, experts will be on hand as well as women telling their own personal stories of postpartum depression.  

At the Financial Services Hearing at the State House in Boston on January 27th, health care experts and survivors of postpartum depression will testify in support of the bill.  They will be joined by hundreds of advocates from across Massachusetts who support this legislation including over 35 representatives from the tri-county area.   

Event: Press conference in Northampton announcing local support for An Act Relative to Postpartum Depression.

Time: Tuesday January 26, 2010; 12 noon            

Location: Community Action, 56 Vernon St., Northampton, MA, 2nd floor, conference room

 
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:              

Latest information available by phone interview following the Hearing in Boston on Wed, Jan 27th.  

    * Local Mothers who are postpartum depression survivors.
    * Liz Friedman, Co-Director of the Postpartum Support Initiative of MotherWoman, the Coordinator of the Western Massachusestts Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Coalition and a survivor of postpartum depression.  
    * Dr. Jeanne Watson Driscoll, PhD, Board Certified Advance Practice Registered Nurse in adult psychiatric and mental health is co-author of Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders:  A clinicians’ guide which was awarded 2006 Book of the Year by the American Journal of Nursing.
    * Dr. Janice Goodman, PhD, RN, Board Certified psychiatric/mental health clinical nurse specialist, is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at MGH Institute of Health Professionals and a current Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar.
    * Dr. Howard S. King, M.D., MPH, Board Certified Pediatrician on the active staff of Children’s Medical Center and Newton-Wellesley Hospital.  He has thrice been selected by patients of the Tufts Associated Health Plan as one of its Top Twenty Primary Care Physicians.
    * Susan Kushner Resnick, author of Sleepless Days:  One Woman’s Journey Through Postpartum Depression, the first memoir of postpartum depression by an American author.
    * Dr. Ed Tronick, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston; Director, Child Development Unit, Children’s Hospital Boston; Lecturer in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School.

Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst) is the state representative for the 3rd Hampshire District, which consists of Amherst and Granby.  Serving since 1992, Rep. Story is the 4th Division Chair of the House of Representatives.  She is Co-Chairwoman of the Mental Health Caucus, and a past chair of the Caucus of Women Legislators.  She was the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Massachusetts (NAMI-Mass) Legislator of the Year of 2009.

“Momsrising welcome wagon heads to the state house to welcome back our legislators!”

Local moms will meet at the grand stair case of the state house Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 10:30am to welcome back legislators with a “Momsrising welcome wagon”. The delivery will include messages from families across Massachuessetts, as well as small businesses who support healthy, working families by providing paid sick days to care for themselves or sick family members. Members will be welcoming back the legislators and asking them to make “An Act Establishing Paid Sick Days” a priority in 2010.

Momsrising members are urging our legislators to pass this legislation now in response to reports that legislators may not take up any more legislation once the budget is passed. Because their in only 6 months left in this session Momsrising of the Pioneer Valley- a local chapter and the political arm of the non-profit MotherWoman Inc. has made this bill their top legislative priority in 2010.

MomsRising.org, an online and on-the-ground grassroots organization that supports family-friendly policies, through e-outreaches to its Massachusetts members they helped generate these messages, which include:

“I get nervous when my daughter gets sick, because I can’t afford to miss a day of work. How can I juggle working fulltime , being a student and a mother with no policy to support me? If lawmakers believe in supporting women and families- then they should support this legislation” - Marianne Bullock

“Government-mandated sick leave is an essential component of our public health infrastructure. Unfortunately the reality for most families is that we are sending our kids to school sick, where it spreads and gets back to us - then we are sick too. What will happen in an epidemic illness when there's no system to stay home? What are we teaching our children? That their government doesn't care?”
- Valerie, Arlington

Contact: Marianne Bullock 
Marianne@motherwoman.org 
413.835.5553 

MEDIA NOTE: MomsRising.org member Marianne Bullock will be on-hand at the State House and available for comment.