MONA is a local social and support group for mothers who primarily stay at home with their children, including those who have home-based businesses or work part-time but are home with their children during the day. We understand the evolution and ever-changing situations of the caregiver and welcome expectant and working moms to be part of MONA and utilize the many resources offered as well.

We offer support, friendship, fun activities, and informative events for our members.

For more information about the history and development of MONA, please click here!

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What kinds of activities are offered?

• Weekly outings to do with your children. Outings range from a trip to the Zoo or a Nature Center, to a playdate at the playground or community center, to pool parties in the summer.

• A monthly social the second Thursday of the month at 10am. The socials are are places for children to play and mothers to socialize or join the club. We sometimes have speakers, childrens performers or even visits from the local fireman! The social is held at St. Michael's Episcopal Church - 1132 N. Ivanhoe St. in Arlington, Virginia - a few blocks south of Washington Blvd., in Westover. Look for MONA signs on the front church doors (Ivanhoe side). Prospective members are encouraged to attend. Please contact Cristine Salkowski or Kristen McLaughlin to verify time, day and location.
• We have a monthly Moms Night Out which offers our members a chance to get out in the evenings without their children and enjoy a new restaurant, a pedicure or a cooking class.

• We have several special interest groups that meet during the month, some during the day with children, others at night, without children. Our current special interest groups include: Book Club, Cooking Club, Gardening Club, Knitting Club, and Scrapbooking Clubs.

What types of support can I get from MONA?

• MONA has a Babysitting Co-Op that members can join. Based on a point system, members can swap babysitting. A separate social each month for the Co-Op allows members and their children to get to know each other.
• Moms Helping Moms is a great resource we provide. This group of member volunteers will make and deliver meals to new mothers, moms on bed rest, or members who have had a death in the family. During times of stress, dinner is often the last thing we want members to have to worry about.
• Playgroups are a popular part of membership. These are informal groups that meet at members homes or at local parks, bookstores, etc. Playgroups are often organized by age of the child, but we also have some based around children entering Kindergarten in a specific year, and groups for siblings. Each playgroup has a leader who is responsible for setting up a schedule and keeping the other members informed of upcoming meetings.

What else is part of the membership?

• Each month, a newsletter is sent out to all members. The newsletter outlines upcoming activities and meetings for the month, as well as profiles of members and articles of interest such as Wit and Wisdom (which offers helpful advice from a MONA mom.)
• We have two Yahoo! Groups Email Forums to which all members have access. Members can email the lists asking for advice on parenting topics, for help finding a good plumber, with offers to swap baby equipment and maternity clothing, and more.
• Access to the members only section of this website. Members have access to many resources online including a current listing of all activities for the month, a Preschool Directory, content from our special interest groups on how to get started with that hobby, a Members' Business Directory, and our list of Recommendations.
• Member discounts. From time to time we are able to work with a local business to offer discounts to our membership base. Offers include a discounted membership to the Our-Kids Weekly newsletter, book discounts and more.

Does MONA offer members a chance to give back to the community?

Yes. We have opportunities for members to volunteer within the club, helping coordinate playgroups, cooking meals, assisting at monthly socials, helping with the website. We also plan several community service activities during the year.

We are currently supporting Doorways for Women and Families - a non-profit in Arlington which offers a safe place for abused, homeless, and at-risk women and families. We collect items for the shelters during the year such as detergent and diapers. We also try to do at least one large scale activity - this year we helped to make over their Thrift Store on Lee Highway.

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How do I become a member?

Membership in MONA is limited to the following zip codes: 22201; 22203; 22205; 22207; 22209; 22213.

If you live in one of these zip codes, we invite you to print out our membership application. The completed application and check for membership dues must be returned to the Membership Director listed on the application.

Once your application has been processed, she will contact you via email to provide details on how to access the Yahoo! Groups Email forums and MONA website. Once you are a member, taking some time to explore the website, including the MONA FAQs located in the Resources section, is a great way to get familiar with all we have to offer.

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What are the rules and bylaws?

All rules and bylaws can be found here MONA bylaws

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I'm already a MONA member. How do I renew?

Once a year, in the month you originally joined, you will receive a reminder to pay your dues. We'll send a PayPal invoice and a note to the e-mail we have on file for you. You may send $25 via PayPal to monarenewals@gmail.com or e-mail that address for information on mailing a check. If you have any questions or would like to check your membership status, please contact the Membership Renewal VP at monarenewals@gmail.com.

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What other opportunities are there if I don't live in one of zip codes listed above?

We are not in competition with other organizations and encourage those applicants outside of our area to join a club in their respective city, such as:

MOMS Club of South Arlington

MOMS Club of Falls Church - North (22043, 22046)

MOMS Club of Falls Church - South (22041, 22042, and 22044)

MOMS Club of Alexandria - Northeast (22301, 22302, 22305, and 22314)

MOMS Club of Alexandria - South (22303, 22306, 22307, 22308, and 22309)

MOMS Club of Alexandria - West (22304, 22311, 22312 and 22313)

MOMS Club of McLean

Mothers & More - Arlington/Falls Church Chapter

Mother's First - chapters for Vienna/McLean and Arlington/Falls Church as well as others

You can check out information on other MOMS Clubs in the area at www.momsclub.org/links.html#Virginia, or checkout www.our-kids.com/support_groups.htm or www.washingtonfamilies.com/calendar.htm to locate a club in your local area.

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Who do I contact for additional questions?

If you have any other questions, please contact us at monamembership@gmail.com

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