Mamas for Mamas is seeking 10,000 individuals to come together and take part in the first $21 for 21 Moments of Hope; a campaign that will help raise funds for mothers and fathers in need and support Mamas for Mamas quest to continue to fill the gaps in poverty relief.

Our campaign runs from September 21-September 30, 2021 with a goal to raise $210,000 over the nine days and has been designed to replace the funds normally raised at the annual Mamas for Mamas gala which was scheduled to take place on October 1 but is postponed due to the current pandemic. There are many ways to be a part of this campaign, make a one-time contribution of $21 or become a Mamas Champion and join as a monthly donor, or participate by giving others your random act of kindness, three great ways to support this initiative. In reaching this goal Mamas for Mamas will be able to continue providing these moments of hope, these moments of triumph and these moments of no longer feeling alone in this journey of motherhood/fatherhood to families who truly have nowhere else to turn.

As an added incentive to seek participant support, Nimmo Bay has generously donated a two-night all-inclusive stay for two, a package worth over $8900 as a door prize for all participants who either donate financially to this campaign or provide a random act of kindness to someone else and then upload a photo of this and tag Mamas for Mamas and use the hashtag #mamas21moments. The campaign results and selection of the winner will be announced on an Instagram Live hosted by Mamas for Mamas Founder/CEO Shannon Christensen on October 8, 2021, at 6 pm PST on the Mamas for Mamas Instagram.

“When the pandemic caused us to have to postpone our annual gala our team came together and developed a plan to help us replace these much-needed dollars normally raised during that event. Poverty doesn’t take a break because of the pandemic, in fact we have seen a large increase in the needs for Mamas for Mamas services over the last nineteen months,” states Shannon Christensen, Founder/CEO Mamas for Mamas. “What is most important is that we do everything we can to find a way to raise money so that we can continue to support our clients and continue to give everyone we see a Hand Up and provide these moments of hope in some of their darkest times.”

Donations will directly fund poverty relief programs, mental health programs and crisis relief in Kelowna, Vancouver and across Canada. Mamas for Mamas services often help families who fall outside the "poverty line" cutoff, thus requires non-government or non earmarked funds to continue filling the gaps in poverty relief for the most vulnerable Mamas. This has been demonstrated by a 76% increase in client needs in the last 6 months, on top of 108% increase in 2020.

“At Mamas for Mamas, we see moments of hope occur dozens of times per day. Some moments might look like a Mama picking up a fresh food hamper and diapers for her babe, sometimes it looks like getting access to a trained counsellor at no charge, or it might even look like an open door held when these mamas hands are full. Other moments still might look like an approval after 32 rejections for a rental subsidy, or finally getting beds and items for their place we helped to secure once ready to leave the shelter,” further comments Christensen. “No matter the gesture, it has an exponential impact on the mamas who need that moment of hope as much as they need the material items that accompanied it.”