Mothers of Preschoolers

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Camilla Elizeu
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. --  Being a military dependent is no easy task especially when there are small children involved. With all of the changes it can be difficult to stay on track.

To assist with the hardship the D-M Hope Chapel took on a Mothers of Preschoolers program. This program is designed for mothers of children from the ages of one through five who are looking for friendship and a loving community.

"MOPS is a way mothers can get together and support each other while building a strong bond within their community," said Heather O'dai, 355th Fighter Wing Chapel perish coordinator. "We have anywhere from 80 to 100 people in the program, including mothers and their children."

The program is sponsored by the chapel and welcomes mothers of all spiritual and religious background to join MOPS and make new friends and gain a new support system.

The program has been in affect at D-M since 2010 and meet twice a month on a Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

During this time, the mothers and children, Moppettes, are separated. The mothers participate in anything from seminars to talent shows and the children are involved in a religious education program.

Registration for MOPS runs through late July to beginning of August.

"We welcome mothers all year round," O'dai said. "The registration is more so we have a head count so we know how many resources we have on hand."

MOPS also has a mentoring moms program, where seasoned mothers come to a meeting and support the younger mothers and also give them advice.

"What I love about MOPS is how caring and loving these women are with each other, the camaraderie is great," said Joanna Kincade, MOPS coordinator. "They become like a family to each other, supporting each other while their husbands are away on a deployment or on a temporary duty."

To join MOPS or to volunteer please contact Joanna Kincade at dmafb_mops@yahoo.com