"When we do our tradition..."  Chudney M.
"With an organization like Mommy's Light..." Bill D.
"She would always go swimming with him..."  Sue H.

Mommy's Light's Tradition Fulfillment Services support maternally bereaved children/teens in continuing traditions and simple pleasures they shared with their mothers and are currently available to:

1. more than 20,000 eligible young people living in the Delaware Valley region and
2. a limited number of families nationwide - Mommy's Light is designing a pilot program to make our Tradition Fulfillment Services available nationwide and will accept 5 families into the pilot program.  Upon successful completion of the pilot program phase, Mommy's Light expects to make our Tradition Fulfillment Services available to the more than 626,000 maternally bereaved children and teens in the United States. 

How We Work:  The criteria for children/teens to be eligible for Mommy's Light's free services include:

1. They are 3 and younger than 18 years old.
2. Their mothers are terminally ill or are deceased.
3. They live in the greater Delaware Valley area or are part of Mommy's Light's national expansion pilot program.
4. Their family must directly request Mommy's Light's support.  REQUEST OUR TRADITION FULFILLMENT SERVICES.

Interview:  After Mommy's Light receives an application from a family, two trained volunteers interview (either in person or via telephone) the children/teens and parent(s)/guardian to discuss traditions or simple pleasures that the children/teens shared with their mother.  This process not only conveys to the family the value of remembering, but also helps the child/teen to choose a tradition that he wants to continue. 

Tradition Fulfillment:  Subject to program guidelines, Mommy's Light makes and pays for the entire request arrangements for each child annually until the child turns 18.  Our volunteers pay close attention to the details of each request.  For example, Chelsea Rose and her brother loved going to the beach with their mom.  One of the highlights of their annual family trip was the opportunity to bounce on the hotel beds - something they were not allowed to do at home!  When Mommy's Light makes their request arrangements, we make it a priority to find hotel accommodations with extra bouncy beds.  Chelsea always reports back about how wonderful the beds were.  Children make meaning out of details and feel heard and cared for when adults pay attention to these details. 

Mommy's Light's Tradition Fulfillment Process - Laura Munts

Pay Attention to the Details - Laura Munts

"Mommy's Light saw to every single detail..." - Sue H.

"When Mommy's Light comes..." - Michelle C.

Serving a family from start to finish takes between 10 to 20 volunteer hours each year depending upon the location and circumstances of the children and nature of their requests.    Only the request children and family members participate in the tradition.  Mommy's Light volunteers do not participate in the selected tradition because they are not a part of the family's history.  The volunteer's presence would change a child's experience.  If a volunteer were to move away or stop volunteering, the child would face another loss.  To find out more about volunteering, see Ways to Help.  
 
"When we deliver the traditions..." Tracey Oberholtzer
"It has been my experience..." Tracey Oberholtzer
 

The Heart of Mommy's Light - a step by step heart poster detailing Mommy's Light's services (.pdf). 


Deomgraphics:  Our current demographics for Tradition Fulfillment Services are: 

Cause of Mother's Illness or Death: 

                Cancer                                        77% (23% Breast Cancer)

                Heart Disease/Attacks                   7%

                AIDS                                             5%

                Other                                            8%

                Accidents                                      5%

Children/Teens Gender:                        

                Male                                         50%

                Female                                     50% 

Children/Teens Race:                  

                African American                        50%

                White                                         43%

                Latino                                          3%

                Asian                                           2%

                Biracial                                         2%

Parent/Guardian of Children/Teens:

                Fathers (including step-moms)      66%

                Grandmothers                              10%

                Foster parents                                8%

                Aunts                                              7%

                Step-fathers                                    5%

                Older siblings                                   4%

Where Children/Teens Live:       

                Philadelphia County                        52%

                Southern New Jersey                     16%

                Chester County, PA                        10%

                Montgomery County, PA                  5%

                Delaware County                             5%

                Bucks County                                  5%

                Other                                              5%

                Northern Delaware                           1%

                Lancaster County, PA                       1%

Household Income: 

                Low Income                                   41%

                Middle                                            29%

                Low to Moderate                            20%

                Upper                                             11%