Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s Walking With Moms in Need (WWMIN) is a local ministry that provides essential resources for new mothers.
The volunteer-based operation began in the spring of last year and is run by several parish members.
The ministry meets on Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m. as needed and offers several resources for mothers, such as diapers, wipes, and monetary gifts.
“[The Ministry] is a response to an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which called for Catholic parishes throughout the nation to serve moms in their communities in ways that most meet their needs,” said Mary Short, the leader of the ministry. “Our objective was not to duplicate services but to provide assistance that was not already available.”
According to Short, the ministry started with a monthly “supplemental diaper program” due to the expense of the resource. The ministry, therefore, provides mothers with 50 infant and toddler diapers monthly.
“We met monthly or more often, as needed, initially,” Short said. “[Then,] we were all researching and reporting on areas of assistance specific to the community.”
Toward the beginning of the ministry’s work, Short and many other volunteers made significant efforts at local events to spread the word about their program. The ministry also distributed brochures to multiple “cooperating medical clinics” and housing complexes. “We had a Walking with Moms table at last fall’s Deep Roots Festival, and we passed out info cards among the crowd at the Christmas parade,” said Short. “We’re contacted several times a month, through email, with questions from moms about the program.”
The ministry currently serves approximately 40 mothers in the local community, and more than 50 young children are signed up to receive diapers.
Short believes that the mothers assisted by the program have greatly expanded the program’s work.
“Our current moms are referring other moms to the ministry,” Short said.
With the ministry’s growing success, WWMIN has expanded to a broader variety of resources for its candidates and their families. The program now provides cribs and other nursery items more frequently.
In the church’s ministry, volunteers have also assisted mothers with finding social support.
“Our volunteers are not just giving out diapers, but also, whenever appropriate, helping moms make connections to other people or groups to make a plan that points to their future. Every mom has hope for herself and her family’s future, and we pray for every single mom and child whom we serve.” Overall, Short has appreciated the volunteer and community contributions that have helped Walking with Moms in Need to thrive. She believes the program has grown “by God’s grace.”
“His blessings have come in abundance through our parish and the Milledgeville community,” Short said. “We scrambled to get the word out about the diapers, and loving hearts responded in ways we never saw coming.”