The holidays gave New Moms a chance to appreciate and encourage our participants. One special aspect was holding Thanksgiving and Christmas Parent Support Groups. The goal of these groups was to teach participants the importance of forming healthy family traditions with their children as well as teaching them stress management techniques that are much needed around the holidays.
The tradition at New Moms is for staff to help participants plan and prepare a festive feast for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since participants come from various ethnic backgrounds, this gives them a chance to share their cultures with one another. This year we had the thrill of preparing the holiday dinners in our brand-new commercial kitchen. In the past we had limited kitchen space, used an oven that barely worked, and often had to prepare dishes in two different kitchens and carry them between buildings in order to gather together.
Being in the Transformation Center made this whole process so much better this year. Participants each had their own station to prepare their dishes, and they learned how to use and clean the commercial equipment. The meals were prepared in record time and were a smashing success!