MUMS Visit the Exhibition in Millville, New Jersey
The inaugural exhibition of portraits traveling in New Jersey is currently at the Art & Innovation Center in Millville. Karen E. Barnett arranged for MUMS, Moms Uplifting Moms, to visit the exhibition. This is what she wrote to us:
“Good evening,
Much like your project, I believe that a picture can speak volumes and generate words and thoughts when words and thoughts escape us. That was the energy that permeated the gallery during MUMs visit in addition to sighs and deep breaths.
We processed our visit on site at the gallery in addition to planning three additional activism before leaving. All in attendance agree that this is a project that they would love to participate in. In addition there was a desire by a Salem Co. mother for the installation to come to Salem and be housed in the Salem Co. Community College out post that is located in center city Salem, NJ.”
Mothers from MUMs at our NJ Chapter 2021-22 Exhibition in the Arts & Innovation Center in Millville
MUMs is a group which falls under the auspice of the Bridgeton Municipal Alliance - Youth to Youth program within the City of Bridgeton. Our program is a community/school collaborative that provides prevention, advocacy, parental and community engagement and leadership programming from the womb to the grave. Funded by GCADA-NJ , the Bridgeton Municipal Alliance program has been in existence for 30 yrs providing evidence-based programming responsive to our strategic prevention framework findings.
MUMs was a proactive and reactive response to the number of youth who were being murdered in the City of Bridgeton and Cumberland County and developed to provide healing centered engagement opportunities as mothers and families journeyed though their traumas. More importantly, the program provides opportunities for self-driven support systems to be developed outside of the “banker service hours” that are provided by service agencies and staff. MUMs is in its 3rd yr of operation and growing. Our collaborative relationships include the Cumberland County Prosecutors Office and most recently the Cumberland County Mental Health and Addiction Services and MOMS Fitness.
Mothers from MUMs creating vision boards
Different MUMS activities have included:
National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Homicide
Be Kind To Your Mind Saturdays
Monthly opportunities for Social Emotional Learning and Healing Engagements thru art, cultural experiences and social outings.
Karen E. Barnett, CSW, APS, RC is the Director of the Bridgeton Municipal Alliance, Bridgeton Youth to Youth, IMAgined Possibilities, and MUMs Ourword.