I’m currently in the first stages of putting together a community event.
When I first came to Nova Scotia from Colorado 4 years ago, I was surprisingly pregnant, again, with a nursing seven month old in tow. Needless to say, I didn’t get out much and that first year was pretty lonely. Mom groups did help, but as a new parent, I felt a lot of pressure to “measure up” to other moms and not show my seams. Since that trying time, I’ve been looking for a way to integrate marginalized populations for their mutual benefit in order to curb some of the depression these groups feel from simply being isolated (try wheeling a double stroller around a city and you’ll see just how restrictive urban life can be!).
Right now, I’m looking to organize single or new moms with young children, particularly those who find themselves feeling lonely, for community interaction with senior citizens.
In 1987, 8.5 million elderly lived alone; by 2020, 13.3 million elderly will live alone.
The concept? Take two lonely groups and pair them together for their mutual benefit. Ideally, this would be a weekly event taking place in a senior home facility. As I said, we’re in beginning stages, and the details have yet to be ironed out, but if there is anyone in the HRM area who would like to get involved, participate, offer advice, offer transportation etc. please contact me. I am currently working with a location, the home is for ladies only, so at this time the project participants are restricted to mothers and their children (hopefully in the future fathers can participate as well!).
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Andrea adds: Sounds like a great idea to me. Our communities today are very, very weak, to our detriment. Best wishes, Jennifer!
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Interesting, I’m in NS so I’ll throw this post up on my Facebook. I can’t say that I know of many single mothers or anything, but a little advertising can’t hurt.