e049 – The Part-Time Jungle Podcast: Mamas for Mamas with Shannon Christensen

Have you ever found yourself alone in your motherhood journey? Maybe you’ve wondered where your community was, and if there are other mamas out there going through what you’re going through? Meet Shannon Christensen, my guest this week. Shannon was born and raised in Kelowna, BC and lives there with her husband of 9 years and 2 boys. Shannon is passionate about her friends, family and her community.  With a BA in Psychology and Master’s of Counselling Psychology, she has a passion for working with marginalized populations and used this drive to start Mamas for Mamas; a registered non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the negative impact of poverty on low income mothers and their families. Shannon has been recognized as a top 40 under 40 recipient, A Woman to Watch, and was a top 3 finalist for Woman of the Year through The City of Kelowna Civic and Community Awards. Listen in as we talk about: * Kindness as an inspiration for the Mamas for Mamas movement. Shannon’s late father reminded her that she exudes kindness and she wanted to do something special in his memory. Building a community. How Shannon’s vision to serve and show up for every community spans farther than online presence and physical locations. We also touch on how to get involved with Mamas for Mamas. The power of a motherhood community. For Shannon, having a motherhood community is everything, as she didn’t have one and wasn’t welcomed into different motherhood communities in the past.  You are not alone. The motherhood journey can be lonely, but you are not alone. Shannon suggests finding like-minded mamas to offer you support and understanding, in both the hard and easy times.  Connect with Shannon: Instagram @mamasformamas https://www.instagram.com/mamasformamas/ @shannonbigmama https://www.instagram.com/shannonbigmama/ Facebook: @mamasformamas.org https://www.facebook.com/mamasformamas.org Website: https://www.mamasformamas.org Connect with Tiana and The Part-Time Jungle: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parttimejungle/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parttimejungle/ * Website: https://theparttimejungle.com   KINDNESS IS OUR CURRENCY "A sense of belonging is the strongest predictor of mental health. Connecting versus transactions allows that to flourish." Should kindness feel like a transaction or a donation? When Shannon was brainstorming how kindness would become a currency within the Mamas for Mamas community, the goal was to have money taken away from the equation. Not necessarily because of individuals struggling with poverty, but because we're all experiencing isolation based poverty as mothers. And when we take money off the table, the only currency we can use is kindness and connection, which Shannon believes is the missing link for moms. So in saying ‘kindness is our currency’, it means you will get anything you need for free from Mamas for Mamas. Showing kindness makes more of a difference in a mama's life than anybody could possibly imagine.  MOTHERHOOD TAKES A COMMUNITY Motherhood is the most rewarding yet can be the most isolating and challenging experience we can go through. For Shannon, she recalls how she didn’t have a community of moms to lean on and support her, which fueled her desire even more to create an organization like Mamas for ...