Northwood News ♦ October 2014

Local Moms Group Offers Fun Social/Service Activities, Friends

By Jennifer McGuire Cox

Are you at a stay-at-home mom or a mother working part-time, looking for to get out of the house and meet other moms in the area?  If so, the MOMS Club of Silver Spring-South might be for you.

The nonprofit MOMS Club of Silver Spring-South, a chapter of the international MOMS Club, is a group of mothers from North Four Corners, Woodmoor, Sligo Creek, and other surrounding neighborhoods who get together with their children for weekly activities that range from play dates at Wheaton Regional to nature walks at Brookside Nature Center to blueberry-picking at Butler’s Orchard.  Most activities are free and occur during the week, mornings and afternoons.

“The play dates are well-organized and have a nice variety of fun activities in locations that are easy to get to,” says new member Veronica Rus.  “There are a wide variety of play date times so that you can join a play date that works best for your child’s schedule.  Overall, the group offers great socialization opportunities with a good mix of ages.”

Many moms who join are often new to the area.  “I had moved recently here and had been consumed in my work life before my baby arrived,” notes Pachi Hitschfeld.  “I needed to find a way to get out of the house, build a new network, and learn how to be an active mom.”

Yet others, like myself, have lived in the area for years but were new to motherhood and the social isolation that it can bring.

“I’ve really enjoyed the companionship of neighborhood moms doing activities where kids are welcome to come along,” says Joyce Cooper.

Not only do the moms gain friends, but so do the children, who love to get together to play and explore.

In addition to play dates and other activities, the club also participates in a number of service projects to benefit the local community and local families.  Recent service projects have included book drives to benefit Holy Cross and Children’s Hospitals and volunteering at the D.C. Diaper Bank.

Interested in joining?  FMI, email us at silverspringsouthmoms at gmail dot com.

[Cox, President of the MOMS Club of Silver Spring-South, lives on Belton Road.]    ■