By Lisa Peri
This morning when I woke up, it was cold! I turned on the heat, started a kettle, and made some hot cider. As I was doing all of this, I received a text from a mother who was in desperate need of groceries and some new pants for her son. He is in middle school, had a growth spurt, so his pants had turned into floods and he was embarrassed. I told her I would run out to get her a Target gift card where she could grab some groceries and some pants for her son. With funds donated to Friends of Annapolis Moms (FOAM), we were able to provide her a $200 gift card.
So here I am in my modest but now warm home thinking about how many moms in Annapolis simply can’t make ends meet. People will say that there are food banks, SNAP (food assistance), assistance with electric bills, low income housing…but none of these things work for a single mom making $50k a year. If you bring home $4,100 a month before taxes (about $3,200 a month after taxes), you don’t qualify for any of those things. And even if you do, there is a waiting list years long for housing. Rent in Anne Arundel County is astronomical and most moms are one car repair from homelessness.
FOAM acts as a stop gap for these moments of emergency for these moms. So if you are so inclined, I hope we see you in the warmth of HERE. a pop-up shop tomorrow from 6-9pm while we dance, eat, drink, and shop–all to benefit Friends of Annapolis Moms, so we can help more moms bridge the gap between crisis and being able to carry on. It will warm your heart just like a hot cup of cider.
Author: Lisa Peri, MSW
Founder & Chief Enthusiast Lisa Peri has dedicated her life and career to both the parenting field and has been integral in many business ventures in sales and media. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Clark University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Lisa is also a proud mother of two wonderful children and is married to Jeff Peri.
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