Meals for Moms fills a need bigger than food

• Founders of Meals for Moms Julie Fritz, left, and Anna Holsteen

Founders of Meals for Moms are Julie Fritz, left, and Anna Holsteen. Photo by Margaret A. Ontl

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Two women discovered they shared a passion. The result is an organization called Meals for Moms.

“Our motivation is to show love to single moms,” said Julie Fritz, a resident of Hudson for the last four and a half years. “We think they do an amazing job on a daily basis.” Fritz and Anna Holsteen, both members of Faith Community Church, discovered this was a passion they shared so they co-founded the organization.

“I was raised by a single mom and now I that I have a second child on the way, I recently found out I like to cook,” said Anna Holsteen, who grew-up in Woodville and is presently a Hudson resident. She designs the menus and ingredients lists.

Meals for Moms was created to develop community support and encouragement for single moms in the St. Croix Valley. It is open to any mom who is widowed, separated, divorced or otherwise unmarried as well as wives of deployed soldiers.

The process has three steps. First is the collection of ingredients, which is done by pairing with grocery stores. Holsteen provides a specific ingredient list. Second is assembly of the dishes done by volunteers on the morning of the third Saturday of every month at Faith Community Church. The third is for the moms to come later the same day to dish up four cooked meals, which they can keep in the refrigerator or freeze.

They also keep on bread on hand, so participants can make up a whole loaf of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, wrap them in tinfoil and freeze them. According to Fritz, they make a handy snack or meal and will thaw in time for lunch if put in a lunch box.

Meals for Mom’s kick-off event was in February of 2011. In the months since they have refined the process and welcome volunteers and donations.

“The other part is to connect moms with resources in the church and community,” said Fritz. “We try to identify needs and try to find volunteers to help with their needs.”

Fritz and Holsteen would like to see consistent growth in the program and to connect with more single moms and perhaps expand to other communities.

The program meets different needs for different moms. A free-will donation is suggested for participants of five to ten dollars.

“We want them to come and be comfortable, which is why we suggest they can bring a friend,” said Fritz.

Both women are thankful that they, as stay at home moms, are able to provide this type of support for other moms who need it.

For more information you may contact Julie Fritz at jmfritz@yahoo.com, call her at (715) 381-9801 or visit their Facebook page Meals for Moms. Donations for Meals for Moms need to be made payable to Faith Community Church, Memo: Meals for Moms and mailed to FCC, Attention Julie Fritze, 777 Carmichael Road, Hudson WI 54016.

Tags: lifestyle, food, family