MOMS Club of Southern Macomb County supports community

MACOMB COUNTY — Many Macomb County residents may not have heard of the MOMS Club of Southern Macomb County, but they have been supporting the community — and local moms — for more than 20 years.

Katie Foster is the president of the MOMS Club of Southern Macomb County, a chapter of a larger nationwide organization with “MOMS” standing for “Moms Offering Moms Support.” The chapter serves Warren, Center Line, St. Clair Shores, Fraser, Roseville and Eastpointe.

“The MOMS Club of Southern Macomb County is a support group for moms of all social backgrounds to come together and find friendship,” said Foster. “As a club, our focus is on moms offering moms support. We also foster a safe space for children to play with other similarly aged kids. Our monthly calendar includes coffee dates, play dates, moms night outs, and other exciting events.”

The organization meets monthly to discuss how they can improve the local community and how they can support one another.

“The first Wednesday of every month, we have our Chapter Chat. We’re doing them at a restaurant since it is so cold out but when it warms up, we do them at McKinley Barrier-Free Park in Fraser,” said Foster. “Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. at the McDonalds at Van Dyke and I-696 will be our next one.”

The next major event for the club will be a fundraiser at Cloverleaf Pizza in Eastpointe, at 24443 Gratiot Avenue.

“On Feb. 29, we are doing a fundraiser for the Macomb Foster Closet,” said Foster. “That is going to be from 4-8 p.m. at Cloverleaf Pizza in Eastpointe. There will be raffle baskets, a 50/50 basket raffle, and 20% of the proceeds from the evening are also going to the Macomb Foster Closet.”

In the last year, MOMS of Southern Macomb County took on a variety of projects.

“Last year, our fundraiser was for Gianna House in Eastpointe. We raised about $1,000 for them. It supports mothers and children escaping domestic violence. We’ve done some park cleanups last year,” Foster said. “We reached out and tried to support moms struggling with postpartum depression and having a hard time socializing. I was having trouble raising a kid during COVID, so I know how important these efforts can be.”

The donation total was for $969.10. The MOMS Club donated $600 in cash and $369.10 in needed baby supplies.

“During the 2023 program year, the MOMS Club of Southern Macomb provided resources to our residents and community moms through their generous donations of baby essentials which included wipes, diaper genies, bed sheet sets, grooming kits and storage bins,” Gianna House Executive Director Joella Bush said in an email. “Not only did The MOMS Club help our moms feel loved, supported and cared for, but they also positively impacted our young mom’s self-worth, self-esteem and self-love. Gianna House is a not-for-profit organization that relies on community donations and the generosity of organizations like the MOMS Club who provide essentials to young women that will help them sustain healthy babies, decrease the infant mortality rate, and assist them in becoming productive members in their communities. Partnering with the MOMS Club of Southern Macomb has been an amazing experience and we are extremely grateful for their support.”

The MOMS Club also takes on smaller-scale projects to help people on a local level.

“We raised the funds in November for the bike racks going in at McKinley Barrier-Free Park this spring,” Foster said. “Fort Fraser also got a new Little Library that will be refurbished in the spring. That money for both projects came out of our regular budget. We just like doing some little projects like that to benefit communities like Fraser.”

Vania Apps, the founder of the Fraser First Booster Club, which helped found McKinley Barrier-Free Park, said that contributions like those made by the MOMS Club are invaluable.

“We’re always excited to hear from groups that use McKinley Barrier-Free Park,” she said. “It was always our hope that it would catch on within the Macomb County community. I’m glad to see they’re taking advantage of the part we worked so hard on. Then when they said they would raise some funds for something we wanted for a while, it was very helpful and rewarding. We put the bike rack in at the front of the park.”

Foster said that they can often fly under the radar, but that moms from across the community are welcome if they want to get involved, seek support, or help support others.

“If you’re looking for your village and want to help your community, MOMS Club is a great way to socialize ourselves as well as our children in a safe space,” she said. “We do fun events, but we are first and foremost a support group for moms.”

More information about the group is available at momssomaco.wixsite.com/home. They can be reached by email at moms.somaco@gmail.com.