Momsbloom Inc

Since life is full of surprises we are not always prepared for them. If MomsBloom could have been around in the ‘60’s my wife and I would have been given the support we needed. We would have been able to avoid some of our stress, and heartache, as our son struggled with colic, and as we struggled with feelings of inadequacy and fear.

This struggle took place while I was stationed in Berlin, Germany with the United States Army. Our son was born in the US Army hospital there. He arrived screaming, which is not uncommon, but it persisted. Doctors, at that time, did not know how to treat colic successfully so we endured until he outgrew it.

Now that MomsBloom is successfully helping families through these difficult times I now realize that my wife and I were in the same situation, but all alone. Their care and loving support would have made a significant difference in our ability to feel confident and able, and would have eliminated much of our stress.

Thank you, MomsBloom, for your loving concern for families!

Gramps

MomsBloom is an organization that is needed! The lack of help for post-baby moms and moms in general is lacking. MomsBloom makes it possible for moms to get some help when needed and have safe support. I highly recommend this organization and am so happy MomsBloom does what they do to ensure better help for moms.

Our family designates its ongoing United Way donations to MomsBloom because we have met many moms who have received support from a MomsBloom volunteer who say that their volunteer had a life-changing impact on their lives at a time when they were feeling isolated and vulnerable. On the flip side, we have met many, many volunteers who gain a sense of meaning and community connection by offering their hands-on and emotional support to a family in need. This is an organization that creates a win-win for all involved, and these moms who feel more empowered and supported, go on to be parents who are able to raise their kids in a healthy, balanced way knowing that their community cares about their welfare. Hundreds of families each year are served by a team of dedicated and trained volunteers, while the staff of the organization remains very small. I feel proud to live in a community that cares so deeply for its young families.

I've seen MomsBloom grow from a simple idea to an organization that has served hundreds and hundreds of families. People don't always have family nearby to help after a baby is born - and even when they do, they're not always helpful in the way you need them to be. MomsBloom bridges that gap. As a new parent, the simple act of taking an uninterrupted nap or making a meal can take an outrageous effort. MomsBloom volunteers bring sanity back to new moms. Support MomsBloom so MomsBloom can support the community.

It's my honor to serve on the board of MomsBloom. I got involved because of my previous postpartum depression, and MomsBloom offers such great support and learning for new moms. It's especially hard if moms don't have family nearby to lean on, so MomsBloom becomes such an important resource when there is that lack of support. They also have a wonderful program to encourage and walk with families who are dealing with the loss of a pregnancy or infant. Having been through two pregnancy losses, I know how important it is to have that encouragement and understanding from someone who has been through the same thing. MomsBloom really cares for moms and babies and the whole family and I'm proud to be a part of it!

It was my pleasure to work on the MomsBloom board this year! What a fantastic group of people--all working together to move the mission of MomsBloom forward! I have been a volunteer, staff member and board member! This organization fills a gaping hole in our society today-- we bring the community together to offer support that families desperately need! I have heard many moms comment about what a difference in their lives we have made and that their families are so much stronger and healthier after receiving postpartum support.

My MomsBloom volunteer was amazing. I contacted MomsBloom before my son was born as part of my postpartum depression prevention/management plan. They gathered enough information to pair me with the perfect volunteer. She was kind, helpful, and understanding. The birth of my son followed a previous pregnancy loss, and she helped me navigate through the huge range of emotions that followed. She also helped me fold laundry, and played with my daughter. She saved my sanity and helped keep me afloat. I miss her every time I do laundry! :)

In this day if far flung families, where help is not always readily available, MomsBloom fills the void. They provide caring and much needed help to all who need it at no cost. This is one of my top organizations to support because of the tangible good they do.

I reached out to MomsBloom after having twins. It was the best thing I ever did. Not only did they send the perfect volunteer to help with the babies, but it was so great knowing that on Tuesday morning I would have someone here to listen and chat with me, feed a baby, and I usually made lunch for us. I am so thankful for all the work they do and can't wait until I have the time to volunteer and help changes somebodies day (I'll have 3 kids 17mo and under come Dec, so it might be a while ;)

I enjoy working with MomsBloom as a volunteer for the thrill of watching a family grow in their comfort and confidence with each other. I appreciate the strength it takes to reach out for help and accept what is offered by a volunteer in your home. I am thankful they allow me to be a part of this chapter in their life.

I'm so honored to participate as Family Coordinator for MomsBloom because I work with courageous families reaching out for support and get to experience the life-changing role of our volunteers on a regular basis. In MomsBloom everybody wins. The families who reach out for support are able to feel the love and care from their community as they invite a volunteer to help them through the transitional period following a new baby's arrival. The support is offered at no cost to families and our programs service families in every socio-economic sector of West Michigan. Our volunteers also "win" because their skills at compassion, active listening, practical hands-on help and networking make an immediate difference in the lives of new moms. This caring partnership often lends itself to lifelong friendships beyond the MomsBloom window of support. And this program serves hundreds of local families each year with very minimal overhead cost. I think every community would benefit from adopting this new take on building extended family.

My involvement with MomsBloom began about 3.5 years ago. As a Clinical Mental Health Therapist, I was grateful for this non-profit that was accessible to all families to support them during the newborn phase. They have created a beautiful model for offering extended family-like support in our moderns times when families are not always so close together or able to support post-partum families as we did years ago.

Additionally, MomsBloom has been vital in raising awareness locally and nationally about Post-Partum Depression and other Perinatal Mood Disorders and Adjustment Disorders. Cameron's Garden is also providing supportive volunteers to family that experience perinatal loss and infant loss.

I have volunteered with MomsBloom in the past and joined the board in January 2013. It has been a great honor to be a part of the organization in this capacity and work to developing an alliance with BRAINS, where they will be taking residence.

The clients I provide therapy to have found their weekly to biweekly volunteers to be invaluable to remaining connected, probably one of the greatest gifts we can give any new parent - someone who they can connect to. Isolation is one of the hardest things both new mothers and fathers can feel after having a new baby. MomsBloom fills a gap that simply cannot be filled by any other resource in our community. It's wisdom from the past, the idea that it takes a village, provided to all, but especially families that may not qualify for extra services from some of our other great community resources. There are so many moms that don't feel like they deserve this extra special care....while its an extra special service in our community....Moms, you deserve it! To be nurtured means you will increase your ability to nurture your baby with less stress and deeper compassion for yourself. This gives your baby a beautiful transition into the world, and yourself a beautiful and transformational transition into motherhood (even if it's your 5th time!)

It is my sincere hope that for the greater good, MomsBloom's unique and passionate vision will continue to grow and reach more and more families.

I am involved in the work of MomsBloom in several different capacities, but the most rewarding has been my role as a Volunteer. I have had the honor of helping a new mother get back on her feet after nearly dying from the birth of her twins. I have also gotten to experience (from an outsider's viewpoint) the pleasure of watching a couple turn into a family before my eyes! What an inspiration. The twins have grown and changed so much, and knowing that I played a part in the health and well-being of this family is endlessly rewarding. Great experience all-around!

I remain connected to MomsBloom as a volunteer because I have seen first hand the difference that we make as volunteers. I have heard the relief in a mother's voice when she knows help is on the way during an overwhelming and difficult time. It is an honor to be a part of an organization that does so much to get families off to a strong start!

MomsBloom is a grass roots organization committed to supporting moms and dads so they can be better parents to their children. They helped me while my mom was dying of cancer and I had a new born baby along with a husband that travels and a two year old. I couldn't have done it without them. I am so proud of MomsBloom. They offer their services for free making this a something that everyone can be apart of.

MomsBloom fills a gap in our community by providing supportive services to families at no cost. The post-partum period is challenging for most mothers and families. MomsBloom provides non-judgemental, empathic services, led by trained volunteers who are passionate about serving mothers in order to assit the whole family.

I love volunteering for MomsBloom, it is so rewarding to meet the families & spend time with them. They are all so thankful for any help.
And I love the extra baby time I get and getting to meet the families.
I advise anyone who has a couple extra hours a week to volunteer, you will never be the same.

MomsBloom is an amazing organization that helps to bring awareness and education to our community surrounding post-partum depression. MomsBloom has been tirelessly working to break down the stigma of perinatal mood disorders, and helping families to embrace the support to help them through the challenging season of early parenting. Through the use of qualified and compassionate volunteers MomsBloom is helping families everyday feel empowered and confident as they care for their growing families. As a nurse and childbirth educator I never hesitate to refer my couples to the wonderful services they will receive when reaching out to MomsBloom.

Momsbloom is an amazing non-profit that provided vital services at NO COST to mother and families.

I am currently dealing with postpartum depression and I can say I would be in much worse shape without Momsbloom. Many of the women I have spoke with have dealt with it themselves and it gives me great hope that this period will end in my life or at least get better! My volunteer has been great and I am also going to take a 8 week class offered by them. They have even given great support via phone when I was having difficult times. They have referred me to counselors, given me resources and made me feed like I am not alone in how I feel. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I have provided legal services for MomsBloom since they were formed in 2007. This is a tremendous organization that has grown remarkably, both in scope and in reputation, over the past five years. MomsBloom provides postpartum support to over 200 West Michigan families each year. MomsBloom works very hard to keep its overhead costs low so that every dollar donated provides the maximum amout of support for its services. I am very proud to be a supporter of this organization.

I have been volunteering with MomsBloom since 2008. They work very hard making sure that volunteers and families are a good fit. They are also flexible in allowing me to decide the amount of time I am able to give. I have also had the chance to grow in my leadership skills through volunteering with several events and projects.

I love MomsBloom! I learned about this organization through my current role with the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. With most of my family living 5 or more hours away from me, I only wish I had known about MomsBloom when my kids where babies! I love volunteering for this organization, and could not possibly say enough positive about the staff! Thank you so much for all of your dedication and hard work for new families!

I am a volunteer and have had first hand experiences of how this organization can reach families at a very vulnerable time and make a real impact. Whether it involves holding the newborn so a Mom can take a nap, helping to entertain older children, or just offering some social interaction, these small actions can help lift up new parents.

I am a volunteer to me this origination is wonderful. The help that is provided to the community is unmatched. New parents can feel so isolated. This helps to break that feeling. I wish the program way around when my children were born!

This nonprofit organization provides an amazing service to moms. It is an inspiration the way they formed and have grown into what they are now. So glad to be able to help moms with them!

This is one of the most kind nonprofit charities. Connecting with moms after the birth of their child really helps to get their feet grounded and make a connection with people other than immediate family.

MomsBloom helped me so much as a new mother. The volunteer who came into my home once a week for six weeks allowed me time to take a shower, clean up a little and have some adult company. She also assisted me with breastfeeding. When I needed further breastfeeding support, MomsBloom sent another volunteer my way for a visit that gave me the confidence to keep going with it. I am expecting my second child very soon and MomsBloom will be helping me again. I am so thankful that this organization exists as my husband and I don't have friends or family around to help during this time and he works late hours.

I am so happy I found out about Momsbloom! It is an amazing organization. I had twin girls born at the end of December 2011, and my wonderful volunteer started coming to my home 3 times a week for 2 hours in January. It was amazing! She would sit with my girls while I took a long, long shower (which I learned becomes a rare luxury once you have kids!). She would also help feed them, and it gave me a chance to have one-on-one time with each twin. She really helped me get through some long days during my maternity leave. I recommend Momsbloom to all pregnant women I know, and I can't wait to volunteer myself when my kids are older!

My empty nest and state of semi-retirement from a job that involved nurturing future nurses, left me looking for a way to care for others and to meet my need to be involved with the next generation. I was lucky to become involved with Momsbloom. After a sensible and helpful training, I met my family. When I leave their home, after spending two hours holding and interacting with a most wonderful settled baby, I feel like I had a massage and yoga class. Also, I have the opportunity to talk to a new mother that is a joy to know. This experience has been just what I needed and I hope has given this new family a bit of a break and the pleasure of having another person to fall in love with their child.

Our community is incredibly luck to have such an organization as MomsBloom. There is no other organization around that is providing the the support that is offered at MomsBloom for postpartum care.

MomsBloom is life changing for the volunteer and the families they support.

Great group that meets the needs of new moms that need support the most. So nonjudgmental and focused on meeting needs to help the emotional and physical needs of stressed out moms. Great place, great people.

At no other time in a new family's life do they need the type of support that MomsBloom offers. I've witnessed such a giving, nonjudgmental, compassionate group of ladies change the course of so many new mother's, fathers, and baby's lives. AWESOME and much-needed resource for our community.

MomsBloom is *literally* saving lives. Women (and men!) in the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area suffering from mild "Baby Blues" to full-blown postpartum depression could not be luckier than to have a resource as compassionate and educated as this non-profit organization. MomsBloom supports Moms and Dads and loves them in all their mess and glory of parenthood. If you've ever dreamed of living in Paleolithic times when your Aunties, Grandma, Mother, Mother-In-Law, little sisters, and nieces all supported you and your newborn, this is it for the modern family. It's like a miraculous passport back in time to when people cared about new moms and their babies.

MomsBloom has helped so many families in many different scenarios. They work hard to aid our community in a very supportive and much needed role. They are non-judgmental and have passion for the families they nurture. They offer a unique service that promotes family support from the very simplest of things that have a profound impact to more complex scenarios that can change lives.

Three years ago, I was MomsBloom's first mom. I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted with my newborn son who was colicky. Sara came and held him while I simply took a shower and a nap. I remember feeling incredibly grateful for a few moments of peace. Three years later I have reconnected with the organization that helped me so much and I am currently the Vice-President of the MomsBloom Board. I'm excited to be part of an organization that is serving such an important need in Kent County and growing to serve more families every year.

This young agency meets a vital need in our busy, often disconnected society. MomsBloom is a growing organization that is focused on supporting families in the childbearing years in order to create a sense of community through education and mentorship regardless of race, income or family type.

MomsBloom was a seed that rose from the heartache of families who needed support. They have grown into an organization that proactively seeks families who find themselves struggling with the stresses of newborns and expanding famlilies. Their trainings are insightful, relevant, and focused on supporting the community. Their leaders are guided by their hearts. The community is blessed to have them.

My experience with Momsbloom has been great! The orientation process was very informative, they reviewed topics in detail about postpartum depression, breastfeeding techniques, referrals and resources and soothing techniques to name a few. I found this information very helpful in preparing myself to help a family as much as possible.
Momsbloom has always been very good about communicating between myself and the families, their dedication toward helping families is superb. My experience has been completely positive, I recommend this service to many people. I think it's Fabulous!

MomsBloom provides an important service to the community served by its volunteer doulas. I have watched the leadership grow this program from its grassroots beginnings and witnessed it thrive. I myself am the founder of a nonprofit, volunteer, community-based doula program, so I know what it takes. Doulas are an exceptional, evidence-based intervention that helps moms, babies, and families at a critical time.
--Patty Brennan, Director, Center for the Childbearing Year, Ann Arbor, MI

As a Board Member of MomsBloom for the past two and a half years. I have witnessed the transformation of an idea to a thriving community resource that has benefitted families in Grand Rapids. MomsBloom is more than just a public awareness effort is is an organization that seeks to provide a holistic approach to families who are affected by Post Partum Depression.

As a homebirth midwife I work with families that prepare for, birth and recover in their homes. With the hard work of healing from birth and learning their new babies - many mothers feel overwhelmed with the other areas of life that sometimes get neglected during this transition. Moms Bloom steps in with well trained volunteers to lend a hand for these new mothers. They do everything from cook, clean, look after siblings, hold the babe so the mom can clean up or just sit and listen as the mom vocalizes her current experiences. What a great resource for connecting women in a time of such change that can many times be isolating. Especially in the lovel winer months here in our snowy state. I highly recommend MomsBloom to all of my clients and have had nothing but positive feedback regarding families experiences.

I had the wonderful help from Angie, Momsbloom Volunteer Coordinator, as my post partdum dula when Momsbloom was just an idea and not yet established. Back then I could see the passion Angie had to provide good care and support for women from all different walks of life. It is with determination and understanding of not only motherhood but womanhood that Momsbloom can flurish in times of adversity whether it be their own or their clients.

i am a nurse full time at the hospital, but i am compelled to volunteer for Moms Bloom also. I've seen the impact it has had on moms in our area who really need the help and I've also seen the impact on the volunteers who are able to give of themselves.
I have referred numerous moms from the hospital who need the help and I have suggested to some of my friends and coworkers to volunteer. As a volunteer, we gain much more than we give! it is a wonderful organization and we are lucky to have it in Grand Rapids

I cannot put in to words how lucky we are to have MomsBloom in our community. I went to a fundraiser just because I wanted to support them but found myself on the receiving end months later when I realized that my growing anxiety was late-onset postpartum depression. MomsBloom was the caring, reassuring voice that listened, supported, and encouraged. I love them!

I am a volunteer with MomsBloom and it is an amazing way to help families with new babies and get your "baby fix" at the same time!