I had the pleasure of speaking with Laura, founder of Mama’s Village, for a work call this week. I was introduced to her through a client who I met while attending a kid’s show at a facility for which I was gifted 10 free tickets. I only needed two tickets for myself and my kiddo, so I gave the other tickets to the sister of the girl I was crushing on in hopes to score some points. The girl’s sister brought her three kids, and also a neighbor and her two kids.
After I hung up with Laura, I was perusing the Mama’s Village webpage, and noticed that they host the Mamapalooza event. A fellow single mom friend of mine invited me to this event last year, though I was unable to attend. I also noticed that one of the vendors at Mama’s Village is another client of mine. The degrees of connection between myself and this other woman – who I only spoke to for a few minutes on the phone – just continued to grow.
READ: ‘Mamapalooza’ Community Event Looks to Bring Moms Together
Though this may seem like a rambling and pointless story, it follows the true pace of community. The generosity of the performer’s gift of free tickets gave three families entertainment, connected me with a future client, and months later, introduced me to a woman who is motivated to connect and support mamas.
The experience of all these seemingly disconnected events falling into a web of similarity underscores the importance of conversation and interaction to grow community. When we take time to listen, we can learn and grow as people. I listened to Laura speak about the mission of Mama’s Village, and I felt the impact of community in my own life without even having known an organization dedicated to it here in South Central PA existed.
If you are seeking community, check out the Mama’s Village website to learn more about their monthly mothering circles, where mamas support each other and children are welcome. Mama’s Village is a registered nonprofit organization, led by four women who are striving to make connections with other parents in the area.
Mamapalooza 2024 will take place on May 11, 2024 at H Levitt’s Memorial Park in Grantville from 12:00pm – 5:00pm. There will be vendors, entertainment for mothers and kiddos alike, and an all-around good time had at the beautiful park in rural PA.
