Metro Roundup: It takes a Village

An Edgewood mom has started a new online and in-person community for mothers called The Village for Moms.

Jessica Dawson, the creator of The Village, was first a stepmother to her 12-year-old son. But it wasn’t until she gave birth to her now 5-year-old son that she realized how isolating motherhood can be.

“I was scared to leave the house,” she said. “I didn’t know where I would go. I was scared my baby would scream the whole time and people would judge me.”

She envisioned a website where a mom could pull up a calendar and see that local moms were having lunch together or a playdate in the park. She has since had another son, who is now 2 years old, and she said she has always had a desire to connect with other moms in the community.

She started dedicating more time to the idea last year, and in June, Dawson launched her new company. Members have access to the events calendar and can join a private Facebook group where they can connect with other local moms. There are different membership levels, and some events will be exclusive to paying members.

Over two dozen local businesses have also partnered with The Village to give discounts to paying members. These businesses include local art galleries, children’s clothing shops, beauty salons and more.

“So if a mom is paying to be a part of a community, she gets a coupon code that she can use at these local businesses,” Dawson said. “The perk can be anything a business wants to offer, but most of them are offering 15 percent off.”

These businesses are spread all over the greater Birmingham area, but Dawson said the bulk of them are in Homewood. Each business is mom-owned.

The Village also has different ways for the moms to support one another. Members can join specialty groups, such as Women for Anti-Racism, New Moms, Single Moms, Adoptive Moms, Stepmoms and more. Local mom Kristin Moran shared her story in the Moms for Adolescent Mental Health group.

“I was pulling into my driveway one afternoon, and I had a missed call,” Moran wrote. “I didn’t recognize the number. Then they called again, and it was my daughter’s school counselor. She started off by saying, ‘Everything is fine, but ...’ Then she proceeded to tell me that my daughter told her she was planning on committing suicide and described in detail her plan.”

Moran’s daughter was 8 when she received that phone call. Mental health problems area common reality but aren’t often discussed, Dawson said, and she hopes that The Village can be a safe place for moms to talk about all topics relating to motherhood.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing moms to spend much more time at home, a chance to build community with The Village came at the perfect time, Dawson said. She originally planned to wait until the end of summer to launch the business.

“When COVID happened and everyone was in quarantine, I saw so many moms in other mom groups who were really seeking that community,” she said. “We didn’t know what was happening, and we were all stuck at home with our kids. I felt this strong tug, like, ‘OK, now is the time to do this, even if you’re not ready. What you’re trying to accomplish is what people need right now.’”

For more information or to join The Village, visit thevillageformoms.com.