Past
& Present Activities
New
Projects
for the winter 2004-2005: making toys as Christmas presents from
materials that
would otherwise be thrown away as gifts to the Mount Washington
after-school
program; gift wrapping at Barnes and Noble for tips while giving
information
about EME; meetings with our web provider pghfree.net to increase
community
involvement among the members of that service.
New Projects for the spring 2005: meetings to schedule Earth Day presentations to children and adults; meetings to plan a Mothers' Day educational presentation with various health professionals on breastfeeding; writing one or more true children's stories of relating to modest animals, such as spiders, bees, and a mouse; writing a one-act play on the ride service ACCESS for the elderly and disabled; planning a rummage sale for fundraising.
New
Projects
for an undetermined future: making art from materials that would
otherwise
be thrown away to submit for a show and sale at a local art gallery for
fundraising and to draw attention to EME, assuming we can find one that
would be interested
Educational Presentations
* Spring 2004 Earth Day Activities: At the Waldorf School and at the Mount Washington Community Development Corporation after-school program at the Duquesne Community Center we presented a composter to the fourth grade class at the Waldorf School for the whole school to use and to the after school program. We obtained the composters from the Pennsylvania Resources Council. We also gave to the school class copies of pictures we took the previous year. Booklets of instructions were provided for the kids. We included blank pages for the kids to illustrate for the booklets. We returned to each location to see the pictures they drew and/or to followup on the composter. The kids were enthusiastic about the composters. We took photos of both groups to share with them the next year, when we return. Another activity was help through the Internet a 4-H Club that wanted to teach recycling and reusing to some younger kids. We provided ideas from the presentations that we have given in the past. We attended an event at the laudromat with art made from lint (see below Spring 2002) where we left recycling and natural landscaping information in handouts.
*Spring 2003 Earth Day at Waldorf School: we were enthusiastically received by the whole school on April 14th, when we presented information about reusing, repairing, and recycling for the second and third grades. We left a collection of nonrecyclable materials for the classes to use in creative projects. We returned on May 19th to see their projects. The children proudly showed us each of their creations, which ranged from sorting trays, miniature scenes, listening tubes, and games to artistic creations with added found tidbits incorporated into their productions. We took several photographs. We left our flyers about recycling and alternative landscaping, as well as pamphlets from GASP. We consulted with GASP about our school activities.
* Spring 2002 Earth Day Activities in Mount Washington area of Pittsburgh: two workshops presented to the after school program - on recycling and reusing and on relating well to nature; distribution of information about recycling and alternative landscaping at Mount Washington Community Development Corporation April meeting; attendance at its Earth Day celebrations; meeting to discuss environmental issues in Mount Washington with leaders and politicians -- meeting called and led by EME; information about recycling and alternative landscaping distributed to children at the after school program to bring to their parents (also distributed at a celebration of art made from lint at the Shady Side laundromat Duds 'n Suds).
* July 14,
2001
Alternative
Landscaping with GASP (Group Against Smog and Pollution) on
Saturday
July 14th at Organic Roots on East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA.
Fundraising Activities
* July 12, 2003 our rummage sale at the South Side Festival netted us enough to see us through this fiscal year for our minimal expenses of a post office box, some computer supplies, paper, and postage. Several friends helped us with donations and time at our excellent corner location.
* We wrote an Allegheny Health Department Grant in spring 2003 to obtain funding for breastfeeding education in 2004, but our grant was not chosen, so we are not sure how much we will be able to do in 2004 around Mother's Day, which we think that is the most appropriate time to highlight breastfeeding as an important aspect of good mothering and a healthy process for both mother and child.
* December 17, 2002 Barnes and Noble Gift-Wrapping Fundraising Evening. Two board members collected donations at the Squirrel Hill Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Pittsburgh. We handed out information about EME and wrapped book gifts for customers. It was a fun opportunity offered by the bookstore to local nonprofit organizations.
* January
12,
2002
Tupperware Fundraising Party. Babies,
family,
and friends participated, purchased, and partied with a large selection
of goodies to eat and drink. Tupperware has a lifetime
guarantee.
Even though it is plastic, it is not a disposable, so buying Tupperware
is kind to the environment compared to some other kinds of
containers.
Besides socializing, we saw new products for ourselves or for gifts,
and
we all won prizes. Some contributors to our cause purchased
Tupperware
after the party. Anyone anywhere in the country who would
like
to hold a Tupperware or other appropriate home party to raise funds is
invited to contact us to make arrangements.
Writing and Networking Projects
* October 2001 to the present: Mallory Crawford spends many hours a week on the Internet message boards about abortion to gather quotes and other information for the book project. Several of the message boards are extremely active. From time to time, she also writes letters to the editor (which are usually published) or to other people about issues of interest to Earth Mother Enterprises. She phones people in response to news articles. She is in regular communication with the Children's Advocacy Network (and attends some of their events), with the Group Against Smog and Air Pollution, with the Mount Washington Community Development Corporation, and with the Waldorf School.
* October
2001
Atypical
Prolifers' Book project begins on a special Yahoo message board of
the same name as a way to promote the kinds of supportive environment
that
allow mothers to comfortably bring inconvenient pregnancies to term and
to broaden the prolife movement to include prolifers who are overlooked
by media and are often excluded by the typical orthodox religious
prolifer,
who combines an antiabortion agenda with religious issues that alienate
the prolifers who do not ascribe to all aspects of orthodox
morality.
To contribute to questions or interviews go to the EME Yahoo Club
through
the link on the home page. There you will find a link to the site
for working on the book.
Founding a New Nonprofit
*August 13, 2001 IRS granted EME 501(C)3 tax-exemption.
*February
5, 2001: Bylaws and first Directors (President
Mallory
Crawford, Treasurer Donna Zarro, Secretary Kim Atkins, and Nominating
Committee
Chair Cathy Stone) voted in at first meeting of the Board of
Directors.
The first page of
the
Bylaws expresses our commitments:
BYLAWS
OF
EARTH
MOTHER ENTERPRISES, INC.
A
PENNSYLVANIA NONPROFIT CORPORATION
ARTICLE I
Introductory
Section 1.1 Name. The name of the Corporation is Earth Mother Enterprises, Inc.
Section
1.2 Statement of Purposes. As provided in its Articles of
Incorporation,
the Corporation is organized for charitable and educational purposes as
contemplated by Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
(or
the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal
Revenue
law) (“the Code”), and in furtherance thereof.
Its purpose is to develop and disseminate ideas that guide families in
natural and life-affirming ways of relating to the environment and
raising
children, such as through recycling, organic gardening, natural
childbirth, breastfeeding, continuous access between mothers and young
children, natural forms of non-abusive discipline, and respect for
individual
differences.
Likewise, it will generate and advance ideas to encourage the worlds of
business, education, politics, courts, religion, and other institutions
of society to accommodate these families and uphold children’s and
mothers’
rights, such as through home-based businesses, flexible work situations
that allow the presence of young children, inexpensive and safe
communal
housing, less-traumatic divorce procedures, and mentoring for new
mothers.
It will initiate networking among mothers, among children, among
interested
professionals, and among other allies of a nature-based home life, such
as through web sites, newsletters, meetings and events. By
empowering
mothers and their allies, it hopes to promote maternal values
throughout
the culture. Its live-and-let-live philosophy is compassionate
toward
all life and advocates fairness and freedom.
Its mission is to educate by discovering, designing, and advocating
models
of housing, commerce, justice, and community activity which restore
maternal
women and Mother Nature to their rightful place at the center of
politics,
family, and social life.
Section 1.3 Philosophy. The Corporation in all its activities will seek to promote a respect and reverence for all life, to harmonize human endeavors with the basic rhythms and patterns of nature, and to encourage styles of living that honor the uniqueness of each individual. All its activities shall adhere to the pro-life (from womb to tomb), pro-child, pro-mother, pro-animal, and pro-environment philosophy of the Corporation.
*December
11, 2000: EME incorporated in Pennsylvania.