By Andrea Lannom
Register-Herald Reporter
—
Amanda Powers said she had never lived outside of the state of Georgia. Yet when her husband was transferred to West Virginia in his job, things completely changed.
It was hard to get started in a new environment, she said. Not only did she want to get involved in the community, but she also wanted to find a way to get to know people and bring her child up in an environment of charity.
One night while researching volunteer opportunities, Powers said she stumbled upon a group called Beckley Mommies, which she said provided her with a way to socialize with other moms while also getting involved in the community.
“This is a great opportunity because it opened up friendships not only to mothers like me, but also family members and children, while also fulfilling my desire to volunteer,” she said. “I saw it would be a great opportunity for children to meet other children in the area as well.”
Beckley Mommies, which was formed in 2007, is a nonprofit group serving the counties of Raleigh, Summers and Fayette. The grassroots effort aims to provide support for mothers of any age and also mothers-to be.
Although the group serves three counties, Powers said participation from members is not what they anticipated.
“One thing we lack right now is involvement with other members,” she said. “We want to be more active as a group. We want our group to be known in the community.”
Powers says she has received “sound, honest advice” from the forums, including every topic from teething to parenting advice for teens and tweens.
“This is the kind of support that you wouldn’t get from a family member,” she said. “It’s not critical or judgmental. It’s sound, honest advice and that’s how we want it to be.”
With the organization seeking partnerships with local and national organizations, it currently does everything from stuffed animal drives to setting up changing and nursing stations at festivals.
“I know as a mother I don’t like going to festivals and finding a dry spot on the ground to change, so we have a tent with our logo on it with private booths for mothers to change and nurse their child.”
It’s not just about the mothers, however. Powers said she likes the fact that Beckley Mommies has events like play dates, mom’s night out and even events for fathers.
“One of the things I find interesting is how they have events to include fathers as well, where they can meet each other and play golf,” she said. “Even though it’s only moms, dads can get to know each other as well through some of these events.”
Some people may shy away from online forums for fear of safety, but Powers assures the site, as well as the play dates, to be safe.
“Only women are allowed to sign up for the forum and the administrator has to approve,” she said. “Also with the play dates and outings, parents are there with their children. It’s not unsupervised.”
Ultimately, Powers said she believes the group has helped her by empowering her and her child to be better people.
“It gives us an opportunity to get out in the community,” she said. “The only problem right now is that we want to be what we aren’t yet. We want to be more active in the community and want more active members.”
For individuals looking to join, visit Beckleymommies.com
