We are so grateful to have such a dedicated community behind us during this time. Thank you for responding to New Moms’ call for both fiscal and in-kind donations.
Our staff are working hard to meet the changing needs of our families, but we couldn’t do it as successfully without your help. Because of your generosity, we continue to offer supportive services to families enrolled in our programming.
Our Family Support team is connecting with families virtually, conducting home visits and parent support groups via Zoom and over the phone. Our team is also able to deliver essential items like food, diapers, formula, baby wipes, and household cleaning products to young moms. Our families have told us these are the items they need most.
We’re humbled by the incredible support we’ve received. Your compassion is having a true impact on our mission and the young moms and children we serve.
Community Partners
A special thanks to Lakeview Pantry, Nurture Life, Koval Distillery, Cradles to Crayons, Schelp, The Lazy Volunteers, and Summer Time to Give.
Watch the webinar New Moms created in partnership with REDF, “Using Executive Skills to Cope with COVID-19,” hosted May 28, 2020.
The Coronavirus pandemic has changed our work and world – and has forced us all to use our own Executive Skills in new ways. Watch below to learn practical, low-cost, and immediately applicable Executive Skills-informed strategies for coping with stress, mitigating Executive Skills struggles, or supporting others as we adapt to the effects of the pandemic.
You can also click here to learn more about Executive Skills and how we implement them in our work at New Moms.
As part of our COVID-19 response, New Moms partnered with Family Independence Initiative and the #GiveTogetherNow Chicago Fund to provide direct financial relief to families in our programming who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
Within the span of two weeks in late April, our dedicated program staff helped 45 families who were experiencing employment loss access an unconditional cash transfer of $500 each. In total, $22,500 was directly transferred into bank accounts of young moms across all New Moms’ programs!
Chief Program Officer Melanie Garrett described the initiative as exciting because it gets to the heart of New Moms’ mission and Family-Centered Coaching approach. This approach puts moms in the driver’s seat and affirms their strength, ability, and potential to accomplish the goals they set for themselves and their family.
“It’s truly putting our money where our mouth is and saying ‘we really trust you, you are the expert of your own life,’” Melanie said.
Click here to read the full blog and learn more about how New Moms is empowering families with direct cash transfers.
Despite the uncertainty of our world, New Moms’ priority during this crisis remains to support young moms and their children.
As most of our team continues to work remotely, staff are getting creative and adapting to new ways of meeting our families’ needs. This is especially true for our Family Support team who’s in-person based services have undergone significant changes.
“Support continues, but it looks a little different,” said Family Support Manager Katie Wise.
Click here to read the rest of our latest blog and see how our Family Support Specialists are adapting to serve families.
1. Send food and daily essentials directly to moms and children
The need for basic necessities is critical at this time. New Moms continues to provide diapers and formula to our participants and is working to keep our food pantry stocked for families in our 58 apartments.
Purchase food and daily essentials off our Amazon Essentials & Food Pantry Wishlists, and they will be sent directly to our families at New Moms. With stores being cleared out of baby wipes, diapers, formula, and cleaning supplies–these are the items our families need most.
2. Donate Financially
When you donate, you’re helping New Moms focus on keeping services available to young families. You can help New Moms maintain a stable budget as we navigate challenging changes in our fundraising efforts, such as cancelling our April Kitchen Walk fundraiser.
3. Shop Bright Endeavors Candles
Helps us continue to employ young moms in our Job Training program, so they can support their families during this challenging time.
Here’s how you can help:
New Moms President and CEO Laura Zumdahl shares updates about New Moms’ COVID-19 response and gives her personal thanks to everyone who has offered their support with both financial and in-kind donations.
– Updated March 31, 2020
Thank you to everyone who has offered their support with both financial and in-kind donations. It is only with your support that we can continue serving our families during this difficult time. As stricter measures are instituted to curb the spread of COVID-19, including longer school closures and orders of “shelter in place” for all of Illinois, the pressure on our young moms only increases.
Late last week, one of our doulas grieved that she couldn’t attend the labor of one of her participants and be a direct advocate for her during the birth because of guest restrictions at the hospital. She persevered and provided virtual coaching to the mom through the night. In the early morning hours, a healthy baby was born.
Our team has been working diligently to connect with our families and ensure our supportive programs continue to address the needs of our families during this emergency.
Here are a few ways we are serving our families right now:
Our families continue to seek support and our team continues to mobilize remotely to provide the best support possible to weather this storm. We are hearing from our families that they need food, diapers, formula, baby wipes, and household cleaning products.
We need your help to help fill this need. Here’s how you can continue to support New Moms’ families:
The need for basic necessities is critical at this time. New Moms continues to provide diapers and formula to our participants and is working to keep our food pantry stocked for families in our 58 apartments.
Purchase food and daily essentials off our Amazon Essentials & Food Pantry Wishlists, and they will be sent directly to our families at New Moms. With stores being cleared out of baby wipes, diapers, formula, and cleaning supplies–these are the items our families need most.
When you donate, you’re helping New Moms focus on keeping services available to young families. You can help New Moms maintain a stable budget as we navigate challenging changes in our fundraising efforts, such as cancelling our April Kitchen Walk fundraiser.
– Updated March 24, 2020
We’re living in a time of great uncertainty. While COVID-19 affects all of us, it has a tremendous impact on the families who New Moms serves. Most of the young moms we partner with do not have a robust social safety net and many are experiencing homelessness. Because of COVID-19, many are dealing with potential or realized unemployment, the loss of vital social services, and lack of health care support if they get sick.
New Moms’ priority during the COVID-19 crisis is to support young moms and their children. This week our team is:
As most of our team works remotely, we are working together to support our families through this COVID-19 storm. Here’s how you can help:
We need your support to keep services available to young families. Here are a few ways your donation makes an impact:
The need for basic necessities is critical at this time. New Moms continues to provide diapers and formula to our participants and is working to keep our food pantry stocked for families in our 58 apartments.
Purchase food and daily essentials off our Amazon Essentials & Food Pantry Wishlists, and they will be sent directly to our families at New Moms. With stores being cleared out of baby wipes, diapers, formula, and cleaning supplies–these are the items our families need most.
– Updated March 18, 2020
During this quickly changing time of concern, New Moms believes it is our responsibility to prioritize the health and well-being of our participants, staff, and volunteers, while also being constructive in the role we play in supporting our local health officials and government leaders as they work to contain the COVID-19 virus. We continue to be vigilant in monitoring updates on the virus and making decisions with science-based guidance via the CDC and Chicago Department of Health.
As we make decisions, we are deeply aware of the significant impact they have on the young moms and children who we serve, and are working diligently to balance this tension.
We have decided to implement the following precautions beginning immediately:
We will provide updates on our response to COVID-19 on our website here as they are available.
In this unprecedented time, we ask that you keep New Moms in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate the impact these measures will have on our families. The health and safety of everyone is our top priority, and at the same time, we know that these measures will have a disproportionate impact on our fellow neighbors who are experiencing poverty.
Your continued support, both through prayer and financial gifts, is deeply needed at this time.
– Updated March 12, 2020
Posted on March 19, 2020
New Moms (Chicago)
5317 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60651
773.252.3253
773.252.5320
New Moms (Western Suburbs)
206 Chicago Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60302
New Moms strengthens families by partnering with young moms as they progress toward housing stability, economic mobility, and family well-being. We envision a future where every young family thrives.