I have been thinking a lot lately about loneliness. I’ve been seeing more and more articles and studies over the last few years that loneliness is on the rise. The American Psychological Association reports that a lack of social connection correlates significantly with increased risk of disease and death over a person’s lifetime. And a survey by the Making Caring Common Project of Harvard Graduate School of Education found that more than half of young adults and mothers with young children report feeling lonely frequently or all the time. This is a huge problem! I really believe that with your support the Birth Circle is in a good position to offer space and connections for new and expecting parents to find the kinds of support networks they need to be resilient.
When my partner and I were ready to leave big city life, three main things attracted us to Athens: family nearby, the vibrant sustainable farming and food community, and The Birth Circle. I found the Birth Circle’s website from hundreds of miles away and thought that this seemed like a community that cares about and supports young families. When we moved here I was 3 months pregnant and knew exactly one person in town, and I was lonely. I went to Birth Circle and La Leche League meetings and prenatal yoga classes and made my initial group of friends here in those places and we journeyed through that transition into motherhood together as we each had our first baby within a few weeks of each other. Over the years with those friends we have cared for each others’ kids, made each other meals, one of them was with me at my second birth, one of them is still one of my closest friends and our children claim each other as best friends. The first time we all wanted to go out when our babies were a couple months old, our partners all got together with the babies to support each other through the first big outing away from our gaggle of exclusively breastfed babies. Some of us have drifted apart into other seasons of our lives, but I am eternally grateful for their presence at the beginning, and during our time together several of them opened other doors in the community for me with introductions to other wonderful people and organizations.
I’ve had the opportunity to talk with several people over the past month who have expressed what the Birth Circle has meant to them. Someone is grateful for conversations had and friends made at the Birth Circle when her kids were born 15-20 years ago. Someone participated in our Prepared Parents Program last year and therefore knew that she had several options and was able to find breastfeeding support right away at the first sign of trouble. She has now exceeded the breastfeeding goal she set for herself and is still enjoying the journey and able to lend support to friends who are beginning to breastfeed. Someone found us unexpectedly at the Family Care Tent at the Pawpaw Festival and we were able to save their first big outing as a family of three by providing extra supplies when they were far from home and forgot the diaper bag. And there have been so many more over the years. Many people are grateful for the educational presentations we organize to give people a chance to hear from local midwives, lactation consultants, and other medical and social service providers. At least as many, if not more, emphasize the importance in their lives of the friends they made at Birth Circle programs, the shared experience of preparing for birth or learning to breastfeed and/or parent together.
We know you can find the answers to most of your questions about birth and parenting on the internet or in books and those are valuable resources, but you supported us in creating a physical space for these questions to happen because you know that we need more. We need to feel seen, heard, and valued. We need to know and to feel in our hearts and down to our bones that we are not alone. You are not alone. Your previous support of time, energy, and money have made it possible for us to create this collaborative space at The Nest where people can land when they need support on their journey into parenthood, and when they are in a position to support others. Your continued support will help us grow more fully into this vision and ensure that more and more parents are able to find their place in this community.
Please donate today to support deep connections, broad learning, and empowering support for local families. We have expanded our giving options for your convenience, feel free to mail a check in the enclosed envelope, or scan the QR code below to visit our mobile friendly donation site with options to easily set up one time or recurring monthly/quarterly donations through Paypal or Stripe.
Here are a few ideas of the impact your donation could make this year:
$35 sponsors someone in need for a month of yoga classes to promote physical and social wellbeing
$150 sponsors 6 months of child care for a monthly support group meeting
$400 pays our portion of rent and utilities for a month to keep this space open and available
If you would like to be more involved in the ongoing creation of this community, we have several opportunities to support the work of community building at the Birth Circle with your time. Write in on your return mail slip, or scan the QR code below to indicate your interest in volunteering or joining our Board of Directors, and we will be in touch soon!
Sincerely,
Ariel Carver
Executive Director
Volunteer!
