American Mothers and Mrs. ND International 2021, Emily Brooks

 

My Platform is American Mothers Inc.

                


My platform is American Mothers Inc. (AMI). After recovering from postpartum depression, I had the desire to support other women with issues unique to motherhood. In 2018, I was honored with the North Dakota Mother of the Year title by AMI for my contributions to my community, which has given me the ability to share this support on a greater scale. I’ve gotten very involved with this amazing organization with roots dating back to Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s. I currently serve AMI on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, as North Dakota Chapter President, and Co-Chair for AMI’s participation in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

 

                For the past two years, I’ve worked to build a local chapter of AMI in North Dakota. Last fall, our ND Chapter of AMI received our official Charter for meeting all of the national requirements. It’s such a blessing to join together with other amazing women in North Dakota to do good works. In the short amount of time that we’ve been volunteering as a group, our Chapter has: helped clients select groceries at the Emergency Food Pantry, packed food for Feed My Starving Children, held a book drive for Little Free Libraries, collected clothing to benefit the Foster Community, written Hope Notes for the North Dakota Boys & Girls Ranch, supplied a birthday party for Box of Balloons baked and delivered Valentine's cookies to our local first responders, and helped set up and decorate for several fundraisers benefitting local non-profits.

 

                American Mothers has not only given me a way to connect with other moms in my state to make a difference but the opportunity to connect with women all over the United States and internationally. Attending the national AMI Conventions in Washington DC has provided an amazing way to meet dynamic moms who are making a difference in each of their own lives. I’ve met women who have started diaper banks when they found out that baby care needs weren’t being met through other resources, women who have founded non-profits to benefit children that have the same disabilities as their own, and women who have invented products to suit the needs of their families when they couldn’t find what they wanted elsewhere. What do all of these women have in common, they all saw a need that wasn’t being filled and used their maternal energy to find a solution. I draw so much inspiration from all of these women’s stories!

               For the past two weeks, I’ve had the honor of attending the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women as a representative for AMI. Previously, I had the chance to attend this event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. This year the event was moved online due to the pandemic, but this new way to attend allowed me to view even more panel discussions. The speakers for the panel discussions shared really powerful first-hand stories, information, and statistics affecting women all over the world. I’m looking forward to sharing the information I gained from these panels nationally as a speaker during the American Mothers’ Convention on May 1st.

                The amount of gratitude I feel for AMI is very deep. This historic organization whose vision is that every mother has a voice has given me just that; a voice to share my life experiences in a meaningful way with others. The friendships I’ve made along the way are something that I treasure.

Sharing a mother’s love,

Emily Brooks

Mrs. North Dakota International 2021

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