Blog — Help a Mother Out

A Date With Diapers

On May 1, the Los Angeles chapter of Help a Mother Out threw a Date Night Cocktail Party in Encino, CA.  Hosted by myself,  Julia from Safety Graphic Fun and LA Metblogs, and Tania from Pure Natural Diva who also opened up her home to us, the evening featured wine and snacks by Fresh and Easy, a selection of Tillamook cheeses, and healthy iced teas and soft drinks from Steaz.

My first take-home message from this event is that we collected 3,284 diapers and 1,000 wipes.  The men and women of our community are incredibly generous, showing that even if they don’t have children, they understand how horrible it can be to be a baby without diapers.  I’m pleased to have given people the opportunity to have a great night out while also contributing to a good cause.

Another lesson learned – this was the easiest party I ever put together.  I’m so glad I was healthy enough to attend!  I used Event Brite to manage invitations and RSVP’s and the guest list.  I highly recommend having co-hosts and throwing your next party at someone else’s house.  Having two other well-connected women involved meant three times the promotion, and a division of hosting duties throughout the evening.  Each of us was free to work the room.

The pre-packaged foods from Fresh & Easy were simple to plate and present, and the cheese – well, all we did was slice some cheese and put it out on platters with assorted accompaniments.  Keeping to the wine theme meant a streamlined bar.  Tania is all about conservation and recycling, so we didn’t use any paper products.  To that end, she had hired someone to help clear plates and glasses and keep freshly washed ones coming.


Yvonne and Todd Condes, Sarah Auerswald, and Stacy Surabian - photo by Laura Clark

...and there's Laura Clark, right, with Florinda Pendley-Vasquez

The guests were able to mix and mingle and talk with each other without shouting because the groovy music, provided by DJ Brian Klotz, was kept at a level that entertained without drowning out all other sound.  For additional entertainment, we had a few hours in the Game Truck, where party-goers bowled, raced, or rocked out with Rock Band.

The turnout was fantastic, with few no-shows.  I was happy to see many of my fellow Los Angeles Moms bloggers in attendance, lots of friends, and lots of new and interesting people, too.  The fact that we kept the guest list to 50 or under (not age, number) meant that people were able to have real conversations.  The last guest didn’t leave until close to 11:30 PM.  It all goes to show you that these Valley moms and their friends can still party, yo.

But we party with a purpose.


Julia, Kim, and Tania - photo by Sarah Auerswald

Thank you!

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Learn, Knit, Give

Inspired by the event that started it all, the Tucson contingent of Help A Mother Out organized a Learn-to-Knit Party Fundraiser for the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona.

On a warm May day in Tucson (most of them are) a motley, but enthusiastic group gathered to try their hand at this time honored craft. Our regional non-profit hospital, Tucson Medical Center, provided not only a fine setting, but also the yarn and needles meaning all donations went to the Diaper Bank.

Along with enough donations to purchase 2,700 size 4 diapers, a whole bunch of awareness, ideas and volunteers for future events were raised as a result of this event.
In the works as a direct result of this event:

A learn-to-crochet party for Fall
A karaoke party (one pack of diapers to enter, another if you refuse to sing)
Diaper drives at local schools and university departments
Diaper drive at Cinema La Placita

Along with TMC’s support, the following generously supplied fabulous door prizes:
Velvet Glass
Kiwi Knitting
Sparkle and Charm
Hillary Rosenfeld LMT
Erin Debenport

Many thanks all!

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The Great Womancession

Help me Obi-Wan Konebi , it’s the Great Womancession.

The other day I was talking to a social worker about her clients and workload. What’s she’s seeing is a huge influx of female-headed households having the reach out for help, many for the first time in their lives. Maybe they were renting from a landlord that, oops, forgot to tell them the house was in foreclosure. Maybe they’ve been laid off from their job, unemployment benefits ending, and having to file for cash assistance for the first time.

We hear these stories anecdotally. Of women and children going on welfare for the first time. Applying for food stamps for the first time. Of becoming homeless for the first time. Of being unable to meet the family’s basic needs for the first time.

But what does it mean on the large scale?

The California Budget Project recently came out with a series of white papers detailing the effects of the Great Recession and budget crisis on women and families.These briefings solidify the anecdotes that we’ve been hearing on the ground during this past year.

According to this briefing, in March, 2010, 2.7 million fewer U.S. women held jobs than in December, 2007 (which marks the beginning of the economic downturn). The jobless rate for women has reached a 30 year high. The unemployment rate for California women is the highest in a generation.

For California women, the impact on the Governor’s proposed state budget cuts could likely have adire effect on women and children – not only if CalWORKS is eliminated, but also if cuts to IHSS (in home care assistance program for seniors and disabled) and Medi-Cal go through.

What I think about when I read these briefings are the women and children I’ve heard about from our partner agencies. I think about the single moms who were employed but still scraping by during boom times. Now they are unemployed and seeking assistance for the first time in their lives. I think about the purpose of the safety net, and how it is especially needed in this Great Womancession.

WE CAN take action today with a simple step:

If you are a California resident, contact your state legislator to voice your concern of the state’s most vulnerable – women and children.

Image from: http://www.freakingnews.com/Princess-Leia-aka-Rosie-the-Riveter-Pictures-39754.asp

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At the Bayview Mission

On Monday mornings, starting around 8:30am, seniors, families and other local residents of the Bayview/Hunter’s Point community line up at the corner of Jerrold and Third. Rain or shine, they are waiting for the Bayview Mission to open its doors at 10:30am.

Reverend Nina Pickerrell of Grace Cathedral started the mission about six years ago, out of her family home on Jerrold Avenue. Lisa and I came to observe and help the volunteers on this particular Monday morning. Almost 30 volunteers were on hand to distribute food, clothing and hygiene products to the people waiting patiently on the sidewalk. Special goodie bags filled with crayons, snacks and small toys are standing by to give to the children who wait with their parents. The volunteers want the children to feel like they have something special, something just for themselves.

This week, Reverend Nina is very happy as they have eggs to give to the families. Fresh eggs have been the most requested food items and a volunteer is cutting the cardboard egg cartons into thirds with a small knife. They can’t afford to give a dozen eggs to each family, but even four eggs will be greatly appreciated. Cardboard bins of fresh oranges, yams and carrots as well as canned fruits and packaged fresh tomato sauce are available this week.

As the gates and doors opened to the Mission, it started to rain. Babies in strollers draped with blankets and covered with plastic or umbrellas waited in the chill air, but there was no crying. Some babies slept, one little boy blew us kisses. People smiled when we asked if we could take pictures of their babies to share with you.

Reverend Nina’s daughter Christine handed out the well-stocked Huggies gift baskets to the mothers, and thankfully there were enough to go around for everyone, with a few baskets to spare for next week.

You can read more about Bayview Mission here on their website.

You can see a slideshow of the photos we took here.

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Redux: California Budget Crisis Slams Women & Children

Here we are again, nearly one year later singing the same tune.  When things get tough, the tough throw women and children overboard?

Last Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to end the state’s welfare program CalWORKS(again) as well as most of the state-subsidized childcare programs. According to the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the Governor’s proposed budget would “decimate” the state’s safety net for poor families, whose population has grown exponentially since the Great Recession.

According to the Los Angelese Times, nearly 1 million children would loose access to the safety net with the administration’s proposed budget.

Take Action:

Contact your California legislator to voice your concern over the Governor’s proposed budget to eliminate the state’s safety net programs for the poor.

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Playdate For a Cause = 17K Diapers

Photo credit: Travis Jensen (http://www.travisjensensf.com/)

Big thanks to everyone who came out to our May 2nd Playdate for a Cause event in San Francisco.  We had about 60 families attend and raised enough funds and in kind donations to net 17,000 diapers. That’s 2K more diapers than we collected last year during the entire month of May!

Photo credit: Travis Jensen (http://www.travisjensensf.com/)

Our hostess for the afternoon, Whitney Moss of Rookie Moms, held court in the main Peekadoodleplace space, welcoming our guests including local bloggers Wendy of WendoloniaKelly Tirman, and Lizzie of LizzieBtv, who covered our event with this video:

The Playdate would not have even happened if it were not for the  mobilizing efforts of our very ownJulie Michelle, Buffy Robyn Kinstle, and Whitney Moss.  Seriously folks, you have NO IDEA how much work these three put into this event.

Amber of Wizbang Photography totally knocked our socks off with the photobooth, while Travis Jensen shot action photos (see our Flickr set for more) of toddlers rockin’ out their sugar high from all the cupcake decorating.

Photo credit: Travis Jensen (http://www.travisjensensf.com/)

More troops who volunteered include Kate Skogen, Helene Kwong, Amy Martin, and Sarah Wall – all of whom, we suspect, went home exhausted from the toddler and preschooler mayhem.

To everyone who donated their time and expertise into making this benefit a success, as well as to all the families who came out to support our cause (as well as the ones who couldn’t be there but donated anyway!), we are grateful for all that you have done and continue to do to help HAMO along.

For those who missed out on the fun, there’s still time to contribute!

Donate online or in person by May 31st.

A word about our supporters:

The Playdate wouldn’t have been nearly a smashing success were it not for our generous sponsors and raffle donors. Thank you so much for enabling us to throw a rockin diaper drive benefit and celebrate our 1 year anniversary.

Main sponsor: Huggies (big hugs for continuing the support our cause! They also sent over a massive donation of diapers, wipes, and baby toiletries for our partners!)

Presenting sponsor: Peekadoodle KidsClub (our friends are a real class act peeps!)

In Kind Gold Sponsors: BiRite MarketAidell’s SausageOrganic Valley, and Method Home.

Disclosure: I personally buy product for my household from each of these excellent businesses– how swell they wanted to support HAMO! No one paid me to say any of this!

Additional sponsors and raffle donors:

Burt’s Bees

Dolores Park Pilates

Earth Baby

Honest Teas

Jen Knight

Kate Skogen, JetKat Design

Jody at Park Salon

Julie Michelle, Femme Fotographie

Leapfrog

Mary’s Gone Crackers

Mighty Leaf Teas

Movement Lab SF

Mrs. Meyers

Natural Resources

Plum Organics

Rebecca Smith, Relaxmith

Revolution Foods

St. Clement Wine

The Sak

Whitney Moss, Rookie Moms

Amber Dubya, Wizbang Photography

 

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Hey Bay Area! Got Storage?

Mom-run, all volunteer, pull up your bootstraps, grassroots organization ISO donated storage in San Francisco/Oakland/Emeryville area.

It’s been a little over a year and we’ve outgrown our current donated space! If you or someone you know is in the commercial real estate business, we’d love your help in procuring donated space for the next six months – to one year.

We’re also looking for a donated hand cart we can wrangle diapers with.

Here are the deets:

  • We’re looking for donated space – rent free/trade (mid June- December 2010 or longer)
  • Ideal cities: San Francisco, Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda
  • 3000 1500-2000 square feet of warehouse-type storage space (shared warehouse storage is fine!).
  • Access to loading dock.

What we can offer:

  • We will maintain our “virtual office” offsite. Office space is NOT required.
  • We’re low maintenance!
  • Promotional consideration via our website and social media channels.
  • Ability to hold community events in the space/area (if desired by donor).

There is A LOT of empty space out there. Let it go to good use and help a mother out!

Got storage? Please contact: lisa at helpamotherout dotorg.

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Guest Blogging Today at California NOW

This is a cross post from on California NOW’s blog. Thank you to the California Chapter of NOW for allowing us to speak to your readers!

Did you know that at some shelters, the #1 need is not food or clothing– but diapers? Did you know that diapers are not covered under public assistance programs, such as SNAP(food stamps) or WIC? As a result many mothers are forced to choose between affording diapers and other basic human needs: food, shelter, even medicine. It is heartbreaking to learn that many mothers are forced to keep their children in the same diaper for extended periods of time, which can lead to severe diaper rash and other major health problems such as staph and urinary tract infections.

In addition to the health risks associated with a lack of diapers, the impact of a low income family can mean the difference between attending school or being gainfully employed since the majority of childcare centers require parents to provide disposable diapers.

Enter Help a Mother Out (HAMO), a California based a grassroots advocacy and direct action campaign dedicated to improving the lives of mothers, children, and families in need one diaper at a time. HAMO started in spring, 2009 by two San Francisco Bay Area moms, Lisa Truong and Rachel Fudge, after learning about needy mothers having to choose between diapers or food. With an initial investment of just $100, and primarily utilizing online tools such as Facebook and Twitter, the group has collected more than 175,000 diapers and mainly distributed them through a variety of California agencies.

“Diapers are a must-have. You can’t skip them like you can breakfast,” explained one struggling mother in Oakland,California. “Getting donated diapers has helped me because I don’t have to have my child do without other things, such as food.”

Diapers are expensive — costing up to 20 to 40 cents each. What’s more, many low-income families don’t have access to discount stores, such as Target and Costco, and end up buying diapers at corner stores, where diapers are generally more expensive.

Take Action NOW:

By doing something as basic as donating a package of diapers, you are making a direct impact in the lives of women and children who would otherwise go without this basic need.

Photo credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sellerspatton/ / CC BY 2.0

Remember, we need you to donate – every little bit helps!

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