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Huddle Up Moms look to serve mothers in the community with monthly events and panels.
Courtesy of Huddle Up Moms
Huddle Up Moms (HUM) is a grassroots organization formed in 2019, whose mission is to empower, educate and support mothers in the area through meaningful connections in the community, thanks to one group of women attending a Mom Expo and recognizing the needs of mothers in Roanoke.
Jaclyn Nunziato Executive Director of HUM and a member of the founding group of women, said they spent the last nine months determining the ‘what’ and ‘who’ of HUM, and how it can best serve mothers in this community by partnering with existing programs in Southwest Virginia.
“I was blessed to meet some inspiring women who are doing so much for the community on their own,” says Nunziato. “We can make this community better if we collaborate, instead of spinning our wheels individually.”
HUM provides resources to mothers through live events, educational panels and online teaching. Monthly education panels will focus on women’s health, hosting peer-led support groups such as infertility, NICU, LGBT, pregnancy and infant loss, perinatal mood and anxiety, single moms and many others. Nunziato said the majority of mothers utilizing their resources prefer attending live events in person, but those who are unable to attend turn to the online options.
“We want to provide a multitude of venues for women to be able to access quality information and give them various opportunities to be a part of a group in a way that best suits their needs and demands,” says Nunziato.
HUM is a volunteer-based organization with many opportunities for involvement. Nunziato says she believes many women choose to volunteer for HUM because their stories and struggles are relatable to mothers everywhere.
Nunziato says HUM’s executive team works to make their vision a reality for the Roanoke community of mothers.
“I am lucky to be the executive director of a board that functions so cohesively, and at the same time, independently utilizes everyone’s abilities,” says Nunziato.
To learn more and get involved, visit huddleupmoms.org.
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