Mocha Moms: A Sisterhood Grows in Brooklyn

Sometimes the greatest heroes are the lesser known.

Tuesday evening around 30 mothers and their small children gathered in a tiny room in the basement of the Macon Branch library. All of the women had three things in common: They were women of African descent, they were married, and they were all stay-at-home moms.

They were a part of a women's support group called “Mocha Moms,” and they were holding a small fundraiser for young girls in Haiti who were still reeling from the earthquake.

“Last year, we held a fundraiser to benefit Haitian refugees right after the earthquake. But we decided to do it again this year, because the situation in Haiti hasn’t improved enough for us,” said Eisa Ulen Richardson, co-president of Brooklyn Mocha Moms.

“There are still women and girls who are living in camps or who are homeless. They need things like rape whistles and flashlights, so that they can feel safer in these camps.”

The fundraiser was a benefit for Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, a Brooklyn-based women's support group for Haitian refugees.

The fundraiser event featured invited guest speaker City Councilmember Tish James, speakers from HWFHR, food, music and a raffle of children’s books and toys. It also welcomed the participation of the Mocha Moms’ husbands.

James said she supported Brooklyn Mocha Moms because the group defies all stereotypes of what most people think about women of color and motherhood, and she wanted to stand behind their efforts.

“There’s not a lot of mama drama going on here,” said James. “What you have here are stay-at-home moms, wives and husbands who care about one thing and that is the development of their child. You don’t often hear this side of our story, and this story needs to be told.”

The love, support and laughter in the room were thick. Mothers got down on the carpeted floor to play with their children, while toddlers gleefully and dutifully ran amok, and fathers mingled freely-- All of this, while Eisa Richardson assisted an eager little girl in reading off numbers of raffle ticket winners; it seemed as though everyone in the room was winning something.

“This is a good support for mothers, especially if you’re a new mother,” said Chaha Wells, a Mocha Mom for 2 years. “I’m a 40-plus stay-at-home mom, and I just love the camaraderie here. It’s a great place for the children to hang out together.”

Brooklyn Mocha Moms received a $500 donation from Paper Medium to start off their fundraiser, and at $10 per family, raised a few hundred more.

“We were very lucky that we got a donation from Paper Medium,” said Richardson. “We had a good turnout, so we’re very happy and hopeful that we’ve raised at least a few more hundred dollars. We’d like to hand over a nice four-figure check that will help fund the women of [HWFHR], because they fly back to the island and will distribute supplies to these young girls that need our support."

Brooklyn Mocha Moms meet every Friday in the basement of the Macon Branch library, from 10:30 am – noon. Their next planned event is at the top of the summer, a financial literacy workshop sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank.

“We would love for women who support the mission of Mocha Moms to come out to the meetings,” said Richardson. “We go on monthly field trips, we hold monthly Moms Night Out events. It’s just a wonderful support network."