Dear Friends,
Things have taken off this summer and I have lots of exciting news to share. Some of you know all about The Parenting Oasis and many of you have no idea what it is- so bear with me as I tell you the story.
Over 5 years ago, when my second son Joey was born and I found how much parenting had changed since my first was born, 17 years earlier. I felt isolated and lonely and torn between my expectations of myself as a mother and myself as a professional. Like so many new mothers, I began to get most of my support through the internet. By participating in Mothering.com and Attachment Parenting International, I learned so much and by the time Zach came along 2 years later, I felt much more confident and content with the balance of work and family. But I never forgot how hard that first year was. With my mommy friends, and as a psychologist in private practice, I began to notice how many other new mothers struggled to build community and find their way.
Out of this, the idea came to me to develop a parenting community center- The Parenting Oasis. I worked with a number of other professionals, talked to lots of mommies and developed a business plan. I raised enough money to file for nonprofit charity status and begin fundraising.
So- in July, after almost 8 months of waiting, I received notice that the IRS acknowledged me as a viable charity. (This basically means all donations to The Parenting Oasis are tax-deductible.) I have been working on this business plan for 5 years and do not want to miss another long winter of serving new families so I have decided to start on a small, part-time basis in October. I have rented space in south Minneapolis at 3901 Chicago Avenue South in a church’s school space. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10-3 we will offer drop-in community space, coffee, snacks, classes, support groups, art projects, and play-dates.
I need donations of time, money, materials and expertise.
Volunteers- Does supporting new parents interest you? Want a chance to contribute while parenting? Do you have skills and talents you would love to share? Do you know others who might be interested? Want to offer a class, rock a baby, distribute literature?
Sponsors- Do you know a business interested in supporting our work? We will be looking for larger donations as well as businesses to partner with for fundraising and marketing.
Cash- We are working on developing a list of 50 founding members. By donating $50, you not only contribute to establishing this agency, you show grant makers that The Parenting Oasis has the support of the community. (Paypal is the easiest way to help us quickly- donate to parentingoasis@gmail.com or email for our mailing address.)
You can reach The Parenting Oasis by email at parentingoasis@gmail.com or please call 612-483-3487 if you have ideas or to volunteer or make contributions.
The Parenting Oasis website is currently being redeveloped, so watch for updates. We will be hosting an ice cream social open house on September 22nd from 11-2 and will have a full Fall Calendar ready by then.
Thanks for all the support.
Maureen Campion
President