International MOMS Club

To Help In This Emergency...

(Updated 9-20-01)
Words cannot describe the horror of these terrorist events.

I want you to know how very proud we are of all our chapters and how our members and volunteers have responded to this crisis.

Our Coordinators have been contacting every chapter in the affected areas to see if any of our members have lost husbands in this disaster. So far, we have identified four MOMS Club mothers who have lost their husbands in the attacks. Three of the husbands worked in the World Trade Center and one worked in the Pentagon. At least two of the mothers are pregnant.

If you want to help during this crisis, here are our suggestions for all chapters in the U.S. (If your chapter is outside the U.S., we know your prayers and thoughts are with all of our members here. Please do whatever you can from your area to help.)

For chapters and members in the U.S.:

Listen for announcements in your area asking for help -- those announcements will show how you can help the most at this time in your area.
Blood drives: Many of our chapters have participated or organized blood drives in their communities. Some chapters have provided babysitting at blood donation centers so more mothers can come and donate. At this time, the blood supply appears adequate, but some areas may need specific types of blood, so see what is needed in your area. In a few weeks, however, ALL blood centers will probably need additional drives to replenish their supplies, so you may want to work with your local blood center to organize a drive then.
The Salvation Army may need donations of socks and shirts for the rescue workers in New York City, but before you start to collect anything, contact your local Salvation Army to see if the need still exists and how your chapter can help. The specific needs for donations will be different, depending on where you live.
If you plan fundraising for this tragedy, please first remember the Mother-To-Mother Fund®. The Mother-To-Mother Fund is our ONLY official MOMS Club charity, and is supported only by donations from the local chapters. Because of donations from chapters and volunteers in the past, we have been able to offer grants for emergency living expenses to our MOMS Club mothers who have lost their husbands in these attacks. The Mother-To-Mother Fund is also considering additional grants to these mothers in the future, as well as grants to mothers suffering other devastating emergencies not related to the tragedy in New York and Washington. If we do not receive continued donations to the M2M Fund, we will not be able to make grants to mothers in the future. Please support this fund because if you do not, no one else will and the Fund will not exist! Send all donations to the Mother-To-Mother Fund to: Mother-To-Mother Fund, MOMS Club, 1464 Madera Rd. #N 191
Simi Valley, CA 93065
If you want to donate money to other charities in addition to the Mother-To-Mother Fund, please consider the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Both of those charities started working with the victims and rescuers immediately and are worthy of our support, along with the Mother-To-Mother Fund.
Be aware that there are many fraudulent "charities" popping up. They claim they will send money to the victims, but they will not. ONLY donate to charities you have researched and know to be non-political and "real." Do not be scammed! The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the MOMS Club Mother-To-Mother Fund are all real charities that you can safely donate to.
Remember that a vote of the chapter's membership is needed for any donation of chapter money.
At this time, we are not collecting cards for the MOMS Club mothers who lost their husbands because, so far, those mothers have asked to not receive them. We will not release the names or addresses of these mothers, out of respect for their privacy. If, in the future, the mothers wish to receive cards, we will organize a card collection within the MOMS Club, and all cards will be collected at one or more centralized locations. We will post any card campaign to the presidents’ email discussion list, if the situation changes.
Continue to fly your flag. If you want, tie a black ribbon to the top of the pole to mourn for the victims.
Remember that all of our volunteers have been deeply affected by this horror, as we know you have, too. If your chapter needs any help or information, please contact your Coordinator, but our first concern during this time has to be our families and helping those MOMS Club families that have suffered losses. All MOMS Club business will be handled, but perhaps not quite as quickly as normally.
The Carnation, WA, chapter organized a candle-light vigil in their community. Your chapter may organize or participate in community mourning and remembrance services. Remember, though, that we have members of all faiths in our chapters, so respect should be shown for those differences in any ceremony.

MOMS Club Love,
Mary B. James
Founder and Chairman
International MOMS Club


	To Help In This Emergency... (Updated 9-20-01) Words cannot describe the horror of these terrorist events. I want you to know how very proud we are of all our chapters and how our members and volunteers have responded to this crisis. Our Coordinators have been contacting every chapter in the affected areas to see if any of our members have lost husbands in this disaster. So far, we have identified four MOMS Club mothers who have lost their husbands in the attacks. Three of the husbands worked in the World Trade Center and one worked in the Pentagon. At least two of the mothers are pregnant. If you want to help during this crisis, here are our suggestions for all chapters in the U.S. (If your chapter is outside the U.S., we know your prayers and thoughts are with all of our members here. Please do whatever you can from your area to help.) For chapters and members in the U.S.: Listen for announcements in your area asking for help -- those announcements will show how you can help the most at this time in your area. Blood drives: Many of our chapters have participated or organized blood drives in their communities. Some chapters have provided babysitting at blood donation centers so more mothers can come and donate. At this time, the blood supply appears adequate, but some areas may need specific types of blood, so see what is needed in your area. In a few weeks, however, ALL blood centers will probably need additional drives to replenish their supplies, so you may want to work with your local blood center to organize a drive then. The Salvation Army may need donations of socks and shirts for the rescue workers in New York City, but before you start to collect anything, contact your local Salvation Army to see if the need still exists and how your chapter can help. The specific needs for donations will be different, depending on where you live. If you plan fundraising for this tragedy, please first remember the Mother-To-Mother Fund®. The Mother-To-Mother Fund is our ONLY official MOMS Club charity, and is supported only by donations from the local chapters. Because of donations from chapters and volunteers in the past, we have been able to offer grants for emergency living expenses to our MOMS Club mothers who have lost their husbands in these attacks. The Mother-To-Mother Fund is also considering additional grants to these mothers in the future, as well as grants to mothers suffering other devastating emergencies not related to the tragedy in New York and Washington. If we do not receive continued donations to the M2M Fund, we will not be able to make grants to mothers in the future. Please support this fund because if you do not, no one else will and the Fund will not exist! Send all donations to the Mother-To-Mother Fund to: Mother-To-Mother Fund, MOMS Club, 1464 Madera Rd. #N 191 Simi Valley, CA 93065 If you want to donate money to other charities in addition to the Mother-To-Mother Fund, please consider the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Both of those charities started working with the victims and rescuers immediately and are worthy of our support, along with the Mother-To-Mother Fund. Be aware that there are many fraudulent "charities" popping up. They claim they will send money to the victims, but they will not. ONLY donate to charities you have researched and know to be non-political and "real." Do not be scammed! The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the MOMS Club Mother-To-Mother Fund are all real charities that you can safely donate to. Remember that a vote of the chapter's membership is needed for any donation of chapter money. At this time, we are not collecting cards for the MOMS Club mothers who lost their husbands because, so far, those mothers have asked to not receive them. We will not release the names or addresses of these mothers, out of respect for their privacy. If, in the future, the mothers wish to receive cards, we will organize a card collection within the MOMS Club, and all cards will be collected at one or more centralized locations. We will post any card campaign to the presidents’ email discussion list, if the situation changes. Continue to fly your flag. If you want, tie a black ribbon to the top of the pole to mourn for the victims. Remember that all of our volunteers have been deeply affected by this horror, as we know you have, too. If your chapter needs any help or information, please contact your Coordinator, but our first concern during this time has to be our families and helping those MOMS Club families that have suffered losses. All MOMS Club business will be handled, but perhaps not quite as quickly as normally. The Carnation, WA, chapter organized a candle-light vigil in their community. Your chapter may organize or participate in community mourning and remembrance services. Remember, though, that we have members of all faiths in our chapters, so respect should be shown for those differences in any ceremony. MOMS Club Love, Mary B. James Founder and Chairman International MOMS Club << return to last page