Showing Your Mama Some Love
I always thought Hallmark holidays were silly, and I shutter at the thought of how much we spend to support them.
Personally, I would sooner sink my money into a Justin Beiber album than purchase a “Sweetest Day” card. So I was immensely excited last year when I came across ToMamaWithLove.org — a shining example of finding the real meaning and the heart behind Mother’s Day.
To Mama With Love is a collaborative online art project that honors moms across the globe and raises funds to invest in remarkable women who are transforming our world. Scheduled for May 3-8, 2011, the site invites participants to create socially shareable "heartspaces" that include words, videos, photos and investments in honor of mamas they love.
Originally launched in 2010 by U.S. nonprofit Epic Change, To Mama With Love appeared at the top of Mashable's 2010 lists of "4 Innovative Social Good Campaigns for Education" and "9 Creative Social Good Campaigns Worth Recognizing." In less than a week leading up to Mother's Day, the site raised nearly $17,000 in 2010, which was invested to build a children's home in Arusha, Tanzania. Construction is already complete, and children have now become residents of this home built from love.
This year To Mama WithLove is shaping up to be just as successful.
Some of the key highlights from To Mama With Love:
Website
ToMamaWithLove.org is interesting and interactive. On a technical level, the process to sign in and create a “heartspace” to share with the world was so easy it was almost done for you. But the most impressive thing about this campaign is how touching and personal it allowed individuals from all across the world to be. I hear the phrase “tell the story” so often in the nonprofit world, and To Mama With Love understands that concept to a T.
Collaboration
This entire project centers around efforts and collaboration with individuals who feel strongly about what Epic Change and To Mama With Love are all about. This year I was lucky enough to be a part of this “love bomb.” With Epic Change founder Stacey Monk leading the way, this group of more than 200 people has collaborated on everything from strategy to technology in order to make To Mama 2011 a Mother’s Day to remember.
Message
The women who will be helped by this campaign all have unique and inspiring stories. Their words help the message of To Mama With Love come alive. Complete with photos and video, the personalities of each of these “Mamas” make this campaign even more personal. You can read about each of their stories and what they hope to accomplish with the help of To Mama With Love here.
While Mother's Day 2011 has just passed, there is still time to get involved. To show all the “Mamas” in the world some love visit ToMamaWithLove.org, and make sure to mark it on your to-do list for Mother's Day 2012!
Christina Johns is online media manager at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
