Eastbayri.com

EAST BAY — East Bay MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club has been a place for moms and their children to connect for several years. On Thursday, Jan. 19, the group held an open house in Bristol, open to current and prospective members throughout the East Bay. A group of new and established members chatted at the event while their children were held in their arms or played inside the building.

In wintertime, the group meets at the community center on Thames Street in Bristol, the old Bristol Armory. In the summer, the group often meets at local parks. Carolyn Almonte, who is serving her ninth year as president of the group, talked about the difference joining the group can make.

“It’s great for the moms and their kids. If you’re a stay-at-home mom and you’re new to town, you hear what’s a good story hour to go to, or preschools, and doctors,” she said.

The group has members from Bristol to Barrington, though most live in Bristol. The vice president of the group, Amy Wells, moved to Barrington from Texas a year and a half ago.

“It’s just a great group of women. They’re so friendly, and not being from here, it’s a great way to meet people and talk about common interests. It’s a great way to get out of the house,” she said.

During the year, the group celebrates together with parties, or gets the moms together for a night out. Play groups organized by age are also set up through the club, and holiday parties for both the moms and their children are scheduled each year. A spin-off group called JUMP (Just Us Moms Playing) has started for moms with school age children to get together during the day.

Ms. Wells said she enjoys the get-togethers, but she especially values the friendships made through the group.

“Just to know there’s someone you can call and say ‘It was a cruddy day, how was yours?’ You get together and say, ‘Oh, how is that potty training going?’ It’s a great community,” Ms. Wells said.

The vice president said this is the first time the group held a winter open house. Among those who stopped by for the first time during the event was a new mom, Jennifer Watson, who brought her 4 month old adopted daughter, Esmé. Ms. Watson said she enjoyed the event and meeting the other moms.

“This is my first time, so I came to the open house, and I’m looking forward to joining. Esmé and I do so much stuff, just the two of us, we like to have adventures. It will be great to do things with other moms,” she said.

Nancy Keyworth, a Barrington resident who works for Parents as Teachers, also stopped by the open house to let moms know about the program. She works with the parents of young children in Bristol and Warren, in conjunction with Bristol-Warren schools. Parents as Teachers offers screenings to make sure a child’s development is on target and connects parents and children with the Bristol-Warren school system before the youngsters go to kindergarten. Reading readiness is a priority.

“Literacy is one of our biggest pushes,” Ms. Keyworth said.

Dues for East Bay Moms Club are $30 a year, to cover the cost of room rentals, supplies and programs. For more information, e-mail momsclubofeastbayri@gmail.com.