Photos: The Village Hosts Its First Stroll For Moms In Need

SANTA MONICA, CA — A group of mamas — plus some papas, family members, neighbors, friends and supporters — all came out Sunday morning to join the Village's first in-person event in Santa Monica.

"We’re overwhelmed with gratitude and overjoyed to have had our first in-person event go so well," Sarah Croce, co-founder of the Village, told Patch.

Croce is one of three women and now co-founders of the new network supporting birthing people. Croce is a DONA certified birth doula, pre and postnatal Pilates instructor, yoga teacher and breath-work facilitator. She and her co-founders, attorney Amira Samuel, and OB-GYN Christy Tabit Evans, started the organization in the pandemic to support moms in need.

They wanted to reach out to new moms, people who might be struggling and come up with ways to help.

"Over 60 people, including babies, joined us on a perfect gray Santa Monica morning to build community and to send a message to everyone along the beach path that all mamas are worthy of the support and ease the Village aims to provide," Croce said.

For some of the moms, Sunday was the first time bringing their babies to an event or interacting with a group of moms due to the pandemic.

Although the virus has kept people physically distanced, the Village has worked throughout the last year to provide extra support to moms in need and families who need extra help.

They offered two virtual events and on Sunday, the group continued that work with a fundraiser, raffle and special surprises. This time — people were physically together.

"We raised nearly $5,000 and look forward to paying that money forward to mamas in need," Croce said."

The group offered juices from Pressed, Primo Passo coffee, rich chocolate chip cookies from Paderia Bakehouse, along with swag and discounts from sponsors LA Parent Magazine, The Pump Station and St. Andrews Products. Raffle items included massages from a local massage therapist, floral design from a local florist, a haircut, Pilates classes, plus tons of other items.

The group has focused on offering moms struggling financially in the pandemic some extra financial help.

From child care to pelvic floor exercises, coming up with solutions is what the Village is all about.

You also don't have to be a mother or father or have a child to get involved, Croce said. Plenty of Villagers are simply supporters and friends or family.

The organization has stepped in to help women facing financial challenges in the pandemic and the worst recession in U.S. history — all in a country without family leave. It's pushing families to what the U.S. Treasury Department describes as "unworkable" conditions for parents who need help, including financial aid and child care.

"We've provided doula services for two women, child care for one family, pelvic floor physical therapy for one woman and we paid the delinquent utility bills for one single mom with a sick child," Croce said.

They also provide funding for these services so that each mom can pay for a doula, babysitter, physical therapist and other potential health or maternity-related services.

"Just as we believe moms deserve support, we believe the workers deserve to be paid for their expertise," Croce said.

There's also a social component. The aim is to bring other moms together and connect the growing community.

It's clear, parenting isn't easy most times. But right now, it's even more important to build a village for people starting families, she added.

That also means advocating for health care services.

"We help birthing people pay for services that, in a perfect world, would be covered by insurance, but that's just not the way America's healthcare system is set up at this point in time," Croce said.

The Village is based in Los Angeles but provides support to families across the U.S.

More events are coming — and Sunday was just one way the organization hopes to keep supporting moms and families.

Follow @takesavillagela for more information about the organization, upcoming activities and events.

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