As motherless women, we share characteristics we don’t usually find in our female friends: a keen sense of isolation; a sharp awareness of our own mortality; the overall feeling of being “stuck” in our emotional development, as if never having matured beyond the age we were when our mothers died; the tendency to look for nurturing in relationships with partners who can’t possibly meet our needs; the strong desire to give our children the kind of mothering we lost or never had; an intense anxiety about losing other loved ones; a gratitude for the “small moments” in each day; and the awareness that early loss has shaped, toughened, and even freed us so that we can make changes and decisions we might not have otherwise made.
- Hope Edelman
Motherless Daughters
Mentoring
Motherless Daughters Kansas City has partnered with empowerHer to offer mentoring to young girls (up to age 24) who have lost their mother.
Founded in 2013 by Boston native Cara Belvin, empowerHER is a powerful community offering one-on-one support and is available both in-person and virtually for girls + young women around the globe! Mentoring at empowerHER instills hope + optimism while building confidence and teaching her that her grief is survivable. Our incredible Mentors empower each girl to find her voice, and to see this beautiful life still holds joy.
If you know + love a girl up to age 24 with mother loss who could benefit from an empowerHER Mentor, click below to enroll
If you should have any further questions about our MENTOR PROGRAM, please contact the Programs + Advancement Officer at empowerHER, Samantha Loutzenhiser at sam@empoweringher.org.
Who Are Mentors?
empowerHER Mentors are positive role models age 25+ who have also experienced the loss of their mothers. Mentor meetups can take place in-person or virtually around milestone moments such as holidays, back to school shopping, Mom’s anniversary or birthday, and more, while always respecting the family’s need and preferences. Mentors are volunteers, non-therapeutic, and simply serve as a supportive person in her life that can understand the complexity of her grief.
It’s A Match!
Matches may consider geographical proximity so that an in-person meetups are possible. The frequency and duration of communication and meetups is flexible and is discussed with each family. When geographically close, meetups can include a walk on the beach, ice cream, or attending an empowerHER EVENT for GIRLS in your area. VIRTUAL mentor matches can involve attendance at an empowerHER VIRTUAL event, Zoom/House Party/FaceTime calls, Netflix watch parties, virtual museum tours, or just a phone call or text to check-in and show support.
A Safe + Responsible Match
At empowerHER, the safety and well-being of each young girl is our top priority. Our MENTOR PROGRAM partners with Mass Mentor Partnerships (MMP) and follows best practices in screening, training, and monitoring guidelines for each prospective Mentor.