By Pamela Brownstein
When Kim Palmer found out her husband would be stationed at Beaufort and the family would soon have to move from Houston, Texas, she went online to check on the local chapter of the MOMS Club. She was surprised when her search came up empty. The wife of a Marine and mother of three had a feeling that would change when she got to town.
Having been actively involved with the MOMS Club in Pensacola, Fla., and in Texas, Palmer knows the value of the club and describes it as a great way for women to come together.
The MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club is an international organization developed for stay-at-home mothers. The club helps them feel good about their decision to stay home, and gives them opportunities to share activities with other at-home mothers and their children.
Palmer said meeting up with other moms is helpful. “It’s reassuring to know you’re not the only one getting no sleep, without your hair done, and deprived of comforts.”
She realized the importance of having women to rely on when she was pregnant with her third child and living in Tunisia, where her husband was deployed. She said the isolation was hard, “I desperately needed the support of other moms.”
Local MOMS Club chapters have meetings with speakers and discussions, park play days, play groups for preschool children, baby sitting co-ops, activity groups like arts and crafts, and a monthly MOMS Night Out — something Palmer said she especially looks forward to because it is fun.
She is in the process of making a calendar of events, which will also include swimming days, going to the movies and a cooking club. Since she is new to the area, Palmer said she will like to get input and ideas from other moms who are more familiar with Beaufort.
Eventually, she hopes to reach out to the community through service projects and raising money for nonprofits that target women in need.
At a recent meeting at the playground in Waterfront Park, other mothers gathered with their young children, chatted about life in Beaufort, traded stories of motherhood and even divulged insider advice about the best clothes to wear while breast feeding.
Palmer said she aims to bring military and non-military moms together, and to create a nice group of women who give support and take support.
“It’s a lot of effort, but I really believe what the MOMS Club stands behind,” she said.
For more information about the MOMS Club of Beaufort, visit www.momsclubofbeaufort.webs.com or email momsclubofbeaufort@yahoo.com.
