Last Saturday evening, while scrolling through social media, I came across a post from a local mom group page featuring three mothers and their children together in Carytown. Dionyah Cottrell, a wife, mother of two young girls, and a middle school teacher, organized a mom walk that day, marking the first time the moms met each other. In total, six moms joined Dionyah on the walk through Carytown, which was the first walk of the season hosted by Somemom Walks RVA. Dionyah stated that the purpose of the mom walks is to cultivate a sense of community for mothers in Richmond and the surrounding areas. I was moved by Dionyah's story and felt it would be appropriate to honor Somemom Walks as a Friend of Macaroni KID Richmond.
Before establishing the organization in Richmond, Dionyah resided in Northern Virginia for four years. She struggled with postpartum depression. Having her children during the Covid pandemic made it challenging for her to connect with other mothers.
"When I had my kids, I was actually in Fairfax. I originally moved from Richmond to Fairfax during the pandemic and felt so isolated. It was really difficult getting grounded, and I've lost it here and there, gained it again, lost it, and feel like I'm getting it back. I just want to be impactful and intentional about creating a community for moms to effortlessly go out. There's a mom somewhere who feels like she doesn't have a community or maybe just doesn't know how to get active again or get out in the community again. She just needs a reason, and this can be her reason. I'll plan where we're going and lead it, and moms just show up as they are, and we'll have a good time together."
Dionyah's desire for Somemom Walks RVA is to create a space for moms in RVA to meet and connect while exploring RVAs parks, museums, markets and nature trails. These meetups will continue throughout the Spring & Summer.
Moms can connect by following Somemom on Facebook and can directly message Dionyah on the Somemom page or her personal FB page. Registration is not required. You can find detailed information on the Somemom's Facebook page, so it's a good idea to follow it closely for weekly updates. The calendar will be released a month in advance, so saving it on your phone would be helpful. The day before the walk, additional details like the weather, time, and location will be posted as a reminder. Then, on the day of the walk, just show up!
Here's info on the next Somemom Walks RVA events:
When visiting events and local businesses, be sure to tell them Macaroni KID Richmond sent you... and don't forget to tell all your friends!
Macaroni KID Richmond is a free local calendar, weekly newsletter and website focused on family-friendly events and information for the Richmond City, Henrico and Hanover Counties. We gather all the local family-friendly events and activities we can find and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more! Subscribe so you don't miss out on any of the fun!
