When Is a Mommy Group More Than a Mommy Group?

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of UPS. All opinions are 100% mine.

A few months ago, my friend Megan added me to a facebook group. I hate when people do that. It frustrates me. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, so I usually end up just unfollowing the group to keep them out of my feed and then eventually leaving quietly. But it’s so annoying to have to do it, and I would much rather not be added in the first place. But when I went to the group’s page to unfollow, I realized that it wasn’t what I thought it was.

Titled “Sippy Cups and Chardonnay,” the page proclaimed itself as “a private group for moms who like to drink wine, meet other fabulous […] moms, develop friendships for themselves as well as their kiddos, give back to their community and have tons of fun.” Since I still consider myself rather new to the area, I realized that this might be a group I could actually benefit from joining.

It wasn’t long before I found myself joining in on a few of the meetups and play dates. While it’s not usually my thing, I had fun meeting some other local moms, and my kids had a ball. But what REALLY got me about the group was that every time I checked it out, there was some sort of charitable act being organized or enacted.

Like last month, for instance: On behalf of Sippy Cups & Chardonnay, and many amazing women, 161 backpacks and bags were donated to Susannah Holden at the Division of Child and Family Services in Murray, Utah to be given to children in need when they are taken from their homes and put into foster care. 

Susannah Holden and Kelly Wood at DCFS in Murray, Utah

Or the Wine Tasting event they hosted for the Road Home. Two kitchen size trash bags full of maxi pads, 1 bag of baby burp cloths and bibs, 3 bags plus 4 cases of diapers and Pull-Ups were donated along with a large box of bras and underwear for the family shelter at The Road Home. This week, The Road Home and The Utah Pride Center received 72 coats and two bags filled with hats, gloves and blankets to be given to a group of homeless women and children in Salt Lake City thanks to the Coat, Hat and Glove Drive with Girl Scout Troop #582.

Kelly Wood, Amy Jones, Eileen Siavrakas, an amazing group of Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes with some of the coats that were collected

More recently, many women have gathered together and made 60 Court Bags for Kids for The Children’s Justice Center in West Jordan for children who sometimes have to spend all day in court waiting to testify. The hope is the activity bags will make the waiting a little easier.

With a ton more activities in the pipeline all geared toward giving back to the local community, this group of women, led by the amazing Kelly Wood is what every so-called “mommy group” should strive to be. It’s more than just MNOs and playdates. There is a real sense of community, and the girls involved have some of the biggest hearts. In fact, Kelly is currently in the process of registering the group as a non-profit charity! She just wrote the bylaws and articles of incorporation this week and they are with her pro bono attorney.

This holiday season, UPS wants to highlight the people and organizations who are dedicated to making their communities, country and the world a better place. They are looking for stories of how you or someone in your community is making wishes come true by being a “problem solver.” Share your stories with the hashtag #WishesDelivered, and UPS will donate $1 to one of their charity partners (Boys & Girls Club of America, World Food Programme, Toys for Tots Literacy Program, The Salvation Army, The UN Refugee Agency) up to $150K! Post on Twitter or Instagram and your wish could automatically be a part of the #WishesDelivered Site, OR you can go there directly and submit your story. Today, I would like to share the story of the amazing ladies of Sippy Cups and Chardonnay.

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