Women Helping Women partners with New Moms Inc. at networking event

Teen mothers whose only wealth in all the world is in their children will get a boost from Women Helping Women (WHW) when the service-oriented networking group gathers Thursday, May 5, for its Spring Mix-and-Mingle at Lloyd’s Chicago.

Along with Cinco de Mayo-themed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, WHW will hold a baby shower to benefit New Moms Inc., a Chicago charity that opens its arms to at-risk young mothers and their children. Guests are invited to bring unwrapped gifts that every new mom or child needs.

Hosted by the women attorneys of Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., Women Helping Women gives women entrepreneurs and decision makers the opportunity to network with potential strategic partners, develop business and serve the community. By accomplishing all three at the same event, time commitments are minimized.

Service projects that benefit women and their children are a hallmark of WHW, and a different nonprofit organization is highlighted at each biannual event.

“I’m excited that our firm will be supporting New Moms,” said Phyllis Franklin, a principal at Chuhak & Tecson. “It is an excellent organization, helping young women from challenging backgrounds prepare themselves for parenthood.”

Mary Griffith, New Moms’ director of resource development, said the young women who come for help are 13 to 24 years old and often are victims of intergenerational poverty, homelessness and abuse.

“We work to able, empower and equip adolescent parents and their children,” Griffith said. “When they come to us, whether they come pregnant or parenting, they really are feeling hopeless. They’ve encountered so many obstacles.

“We empower them to be able to break through all the obstacles and roadblocks with the tools that they learn here, and we provide intensive support on that journey.”

Lisa Rothstein, another principal who was on the committee that selected New Moms for the WHW event, said she was impressed by the breadth of programs designed to help in crisis and beyond.

“New Moms offers a range of services to women in need,” Rothstein said. “They are there not just for immediate support in crisis. They also provide an opportunity for young mothers to tap into resources and to learn, which will help them develop important skills and expand their future options.”

Among the agency’s five outreaches is a program that teaches new moms about the stages of child development and how to care for their kids and play with them. Another offers food, shelter and safety, and participants can also gain job skills, life skills and more—including an expanded vision for their futures.

“Our moms, when they come, find out they can have a dream and a goal,” Griffith said, “and then they start looking at opportunities.”

The charity’s Academy of Professional Development is an important piece in getting participants ready for a career and job opportunities. Griffith will be at the Mix-and-Mingle to talk about the academy and its internship program.

Suggested baby shower gifts for that evening include baby shampoo, body wash, baby wipes, diaper cream, diapers in all sizes (especially sizes 4 and 5), baby bottles, onesies and other children’s clothes (sizes newborn to 5T), and $10 gift cards to local stores such as Target, Wal-Mart and Jewel. For the new moms themselves, potential gifts include deodorant, body wash, body lotion and hair care products.

The Mix and Mingle will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lloyd’s Chicago, 1 S. Wacker Drive. If you have questions or would like to receive an invitation, please contact Katie Walsh at 312-201-3447 or kwalsh@chuhak.com. The registration deadline is 3 p.m. Friday, April 29.