In the Club: Local Mamas Club
When Vanessa Saleh became a mom, life was hectic. At seven months pregnant, her husband’s job moved the couple to Houston. Two years later, they relocated to Dallas and eventually back home to Baton Rouge. Throughout this chaotic journey, the Salehs found it difficult to make connections in their communities.
After years of feeling alone as a new mom, Saleh decided to build something that could support moms in any community: The Local Mamas Club.
“I wanted to create something where moms got poured into so that they could go home and be better moms,” says Saleh. “If moms are good, kids are good. And when moms and kids are good, the whole community kind of feels better.”
Last month, she took a risk and asked if local moms wanted to connect. Through a simple Instagram bio link, they flooded the sign-up sheet for the club’s kick-off event, Mama’s Movie Night.
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Saleh explains that the club’s mission is to make building these connections as simple as clicking a link. Over 20 moms joined in on the movie night fun where they mingled, snacked and left better than they came. After the event, the moms in attendance expressed their gratitude and appreciation, and Saleh says this reassurance is what gave her the confidence to keep growing the club.
“Sometimes you have concepts in your head where you think it could maybe help someone, but you don’t really know until you try,” she says. “When moms kept thanking me for putting the event together and asking about future ones, I realized how badly they needed this support and community.”
Now, Saleh is planning future gatherings. She envisions Moms-giving, stroller walks and coffee dates to keep mothers connected while going through the busy holiday season. But ultimately, her goal is to help moms everywhere build their own communities.
If you’re interested in an “In the Club” feature, email [email protected] with a brief description of your organization.
