Living through a pandemic may have limited us tremendously, but luckily it hasn’t stopped new lives from entering this world.
Twelve young ladies of the 2010 graduating class at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR), with the help of social media, realized they all gave birth within the same year, 2020. Even though this year was difficult with all the measures, regulations, and uncertainty, the ladies bonded together with their wee ones to offer each other support and keep connected. Its hard enough having a baby for the first time; doing it through a pandemic raises the difficulty to another level. The Monteregie West Community Network (MWCN) dubbed this group of ladies the “Wondermoms.”
Members of the MWCN kept in contact with the group of young mothers, holding a picnic in the park event last spring where they were introduced to the local Family Resource Centre and its many valuable services. A group photo of the new mothers, which now hangs in the MWCN’s Huntingdon office and wellness centre, was also unveiled during this gathering.
The moms were invited to bring a new or gently used stuffed animal to the picnic to be donated to a new MWCN initiative. The MWCN then worked with a local quilters group, The Quiltivators, to have small red hearts sewn onto each of the stuffed animals. Finally, the MWCN reached out to local fire departments, first responders, and ambulance technicians to see if they could make use of these stuffies when working in our different communities.
“Tragic events are difficult, and even more so when young people are involved, so offering something comforting to hold on to helps,” says MWCN project coordinator Kim Wilson.
The MWCN will be reaching out to other local fire departments throughout the Haut-Saint-Laurent region to offer this service in surrounding communities as well.
Wilson is especially pleased with how this initiative demonstrates the effectiveness of encouraging inter-generational projects that work with local organizations and businesses to improve our communities.
Submitted by Kim Wilson
Monteregie West Community Network
