Teaching Kindness and Volunteering: A Brand New Mother’s Day

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My number one goal with raising my daughter, is teaching her to be kind. I know that is a broad statement, and I have a lot of little life lessons within that goal. She needs to know the joy of lifting someone else up. I want her to know that if she cannot donate financially to a charity, that she can always help by giving up some time. As a family, we will start volunteering with her at a young age by walking dogs at the animal shelter.  Even if she can only volunteer 30 minutes a week, she will be relieving 30 minutes of stress from someone else.

That is part one of the story, part two involves the business I own. I had a goal of booking our entire year early. I wanted to take that time we no longer need for booking clients and use it to do something for the community. The picture became very clear when my Studio Manager and I were at a Galentine’s Day event in February. It happened when Miranda stood up and spoke about Safe Haven Shelter. 

I was fighting back the tears; I knew this was it. There was a reason I was in the room while she was speaking. This is what I was meant to do for our community. Safe Haven Shelter assists women who have been a victim of domestic or sexual assault. These women are completely starting their lives over. Items such as socks, underwear, or cleaning supplies are no longer easily attainable. The basics in life are now a struggle.

I spoke with Mariah from Northland Special Events who was also at the Galentine’s Day event and she immediately offered to be a part of doing something special for these women. Our goal is to be able to do this event every year. While my daughter is only a 17 months as I write this, I am looking forward to her being old enough to join me at the event. The event even evolved to include CASDA so that we can help out as many local women as possible.

My vision for our event is to provide these women with basic needs in life, pamper them, and update their family photos. I want them to be at ease knowing that their children are safe and being cared for. Clothing drives, amazon wish lists, hair and makeup pampering, treats, and updated photos for mom, plus an entire activity area for the kids are on the docket for the day.
 

So here it is…. A Brand New Mother’s Day

Teaching Kindness and Volunteering: A Brand New Mother's Day | Duluth Moms Blog

Did you know that one in three women in Minnesota and Wisconsin will be subjected to physical violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime? Did you also know that Duluth and Superior have shelters and Resource Centers for these women fleeing their domestic abusers?

Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center in Duluth and CASDA (Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse) in Superior assist women from across the region in countless ways. From supporting them through legal battles, to providing basic essentials, food, and a roof over their heads, these organizations truly allow women to start their brand new lives. 

Together with Northland Special Events, Mad Chicken Studio will host “A Brand New Mother’s Day” on Sunday, May 13th. This event will allow the women and children from Safe Haven and CASDA to relax, be pampered, laugh, and celebrate a fresh start. New family photos and a family dinner will cap off the event and a Mother’s Day full of joy for all. 

In order to make this event everything we dream it can be, we need your help. We seek sponsors for food and beverage and we will accept donations of any amount to go towards event expenses. Even the smallest contribution will make a difference.

Ways to help:

  • Are you an Amazon shopper? A Wish List created for the shelters provides an easy way to donate basic essentials: Click here to view the list.
  • Clothing Donations may be brought to NSE, 324 W. Superior St, Duluth or Mad Chicken Studio 231 E. 1st St., Duluth.
  • Cash Donations may be sent via PayPal. The receiving email address is [email protected]
  • Gift Cards. Women often think of their children first, can you imagine the last time a woman in this situation was able to buy herself something nice? Please consider this when deciding where to buy from. Examples include: Walmart, Super One, Victoria’s Secret, Ulta, Target, Amazon and Visa Gift Cards
  • Mary Kay will provide make-up for the event. If this is an area you would like to contribute to, please contact Barb Olson at (218) 729-5158.
  • Swag Bag items. The women and children will receive bags full of goodies to take home from the event. Does your business have a product or coupon that would be perfect to include? Exact counts will be furnished.

Please consider a donation this year to the lives of these new families so they know the good in the world, and the good in Duluth. Even the smallest donation can change someone’s world. Have you bought your ticket to Bloom? If you bring your donations to the event, or show us how you donated at the ticket table, you will receive seven extra tickets toward the epic Bloom giveaways!