Metro East Chapter #126
(located in Illinois across the river from St. Louis, MO)

This page was last updated on: May 31, 2009

Welcome to Mothers & More Chapter 126!

          Do you want to find other kids for your child to play with?

          Did you and your family recently move into or near St. Clair County, IL?

          Are you a stay-at-home mom?

          Are you a mom that works full or part time?

          Do you want one child-free night out with some friends?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then the Metro East Chapter of Mothers & More may be just the "mom's group" for you! You are welcome to attend two activities before joining our chapter. So, come join in the fun!

We offer:

          Playgroups for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers

          Mom and child activities during the week

          Once-a-month evening meetings with discussions or guest speakers

          Mom's nights out

          Book club

          When a new baby is born, we coordinate meals for the family

          Newsletter and on-line discussion groups

          ...and much more

Our Chapter
The Metro East Chapter has been around since March of 1996 and currently has a membership of over 70 moms and their children.  Membership functions as the support network and "extended community" that all mothers need particularly those experiencing the isolation and difficulties that are sometimes involved with the choice to leave paid employment.

Our typical monthly calendar will include 2-4 "mothers only" evening activities (infants under six months are allowed) such as Book Club, Dinner Night Out, Movie Night, or the monthly evening Meeting.

Our activities for children (babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school-age kids) averages around 8-18 activities a month including play times at local parks, museums, pools, story times, holiday parties (we host at the O'Fallon library), the zoo, science center, botanical gardens, etc.

Meetings  
Our Moms and More meetings are held at 7 pm the third Wednesday of each month and provide a discussion or guest speaker on a variety of topics of interest to our members.  Past topics have been:

Siblings Without Rivalry

Family Vacations

Picky Eaters/Healthy Bites

Introduction to Yoga

Breast Cancer Awareness

Holiday Tradition Ideas

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Going Green

The large conference room at the O'Fallon library located at 120 Civic Plaza, O'Fallon, Illinois has been the location for the monthly evening meeting, but the location may change as needed.

Our chapter is located in Southern Illinois.  Many of our moms are from O'Fallon, Shiloh, Fairview Heights, Belleville, Swansea, Caseyville, Troy, and Mascoutah, Illinois.

If you are interested, please send an e-mail to us via the link below with any questions you may have for us. We will then e-mail you more details about our group along with membership forms for you to review at your leisure. You are under no obligation to join.

Mission Statement
Mothers & More is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers through support, education, and advocacy. We address mothers' needs as individuals and members of society, and promote the value of all the work mothers do.

Beliefs
A mother is more than any single role she plays at any given point in her lifetime. She is entitled to fully explore and develop her identity as she chooses: as a woman, a citizen, a parent or an employee.
All the work mothers do - whether paid or unpaid - has social and economic value.
All women deserve recognition and support for their right to choose if and how to combine parenting and paid employment.
All mothers, all children and all families are unique. We respect the wisdom of each mother to decide how to care for her children, her family and herself.
Mothers have the right to fulfill their caregiving responsibilities without incurring social and economic penalties.
The transitions women make into and through motherhood are challenging and can be difficult.
Together, mothers are powerful.

What We Do
Serving over 7,500 mothers in the U.S. and beyond, Mothers & More is a non-profit membership organization that cares for the caregiver. We provide a nationwide network of local chapters for mothers who are - by choice or circumstance - altering their participation in the paid workplace over the course of their active parenting years. Our chapters are structured to support a mother as she navigates the challenges of her daily life - whether she is a full-time family caregiver or struggling to achieve a better balance between the demands of paid work and family care.
Through our chapters and other services, we provide opportunities for mothers to connect with one another in ways that assist them in developing their unique identities as women and help them move more confidently through the transitions that affect their family, work and life.
Mothers & More champions the value and necessity of all mothers' work to our society - paid and unpaid, within and outside of the home. We strive to raise awareness about the fact that mothers live and work in a society that presents significant barriers to their ability to succeed as women, citizens, parents or participants in the workforce. By uniting mothers to act on their own behalf, we seek to eliminate policies, practices and attitudes that unfairly impact mothers as caregivers.

Our e-mail address:   mmore126@gmail.com