A new non-profit aimed at helping families during the holidays
The Charlotte Moms Facebook community has been raising money for families in need during the last 2 holiday seasons; now the group has started a non-profit
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A popular Facebook group for Charlotte moms spins off a non-profit to help families at the holidays
by Cristina Bolling
As Christmas approached in 2020, Jess Kawski and the other moderators of the Charlotte Moms Facebook group she runs came to a rough realization: so many moms were struggling.
“Usually, it was breastfeeding trouble, or weird rashes or where to go on date night, but people were losing jobs” and moms were stressed about not being able to provide for their kids at the holidays, Kawski said.
On somewhat of a whim, Kawski and her moderators decided to offer a “giving tree” service to their private Facebook community: Moms with a little extra cash could donate toward gift cards to Amazon and Target, which Kawski and her team would distribute among Charlotte Moms Facebook members who filled out a Google form explaining their needs.
Within about a week, more than $21,000 poured in from 266 donors, which helped 113 families.
The Charlotte Moms Facebook team repeated the effort in 2021, with Kawski turning again into a spreadsheet-running maniac for the month of December. That year, the effort raised nearly $27,000 from 300 donors, which helped 139 families.
As 2022 rolled around, Kawski went through the arduous process of creating a 501(c)(3) non-profit to keep the holiday giving going. The Charlotte Moms Foundation received its official non-profit status last week, allowing for tax-deductible donations.
The recipients will still need to be members of the private Charlotte Moms Facebook group. Prospective members are vetted when they request to join.
The Charlotte Moms Facebook group now has about 23,400 members and is the largest Facebook group for moms in Charlotte, Kawski said.
Kawski said she realizes that other local charities also serve families at Christmas, but she’s found that moms in need appreciate being able to make purchases themselves for their kids, as opposed to having strangers buy the items.
“For that mom to be able to go into a store, or to go online and shop themselves and buy what they know their kid needs or wants — we’ve found it to be an empowering thing,” Kawski said.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project