For most women, Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate that powerful bond between a mother and her daughter. But for those who have lost their mother, it can bring up painful feelings of loss.
The first annual Forever Daughters (www.foreverdaughters.org) luncheon is dedicated to support and inspire women who would otherwise experience a motherless Mother’s Day.
“A Call of Remembrance” is set to take place on Saturday, May 10, from 11 am – 2 pm at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel. The luncheon will feature keynote speaker Amy DuBois Barnett, former Editor-in-Chief of Ebony Magazine and author of Get Yours! How to Have Everything You Dreamed of and More.
It will be hosted by Pam Alster, motherless daughter and author of Amazon Bestselling Novel, Robin’s Blue. Each guest will receive a Forever Daughters signature necklace, and their mother’s name will be acknowledged.
Barnett shares, “I feel very fortunate in that mother functioned as my mentor. Not only was she an amazing mother, but she was a very accomplished woman — the first African-American woman to ever run a major mainstream university in the country. I lost her when I was 22 years old, and her death inspired a profound life change. I will be talking about that–and about the ‘Get Yours’ philosophy that I developed in the wake of her death. That philosophy shaped me and has been a huge part of my success today; therefore, it was mother’s final gift to me.”
Joresa Blount, actress and Forever Daughters founder, says “This luncheon is to support any woman who has lost her mom – no matter what the age or reason. We’re here to recognize that Mother’s Day is for the motherless too.”
Blount started the non-profit in January, 2014. Having recently lost her own mother, she was inspired by the support she received from other women in helping her overcome her grief.
Blount recalls, “I had several women who had lost their mothers reach out to me. During my first few months without my mom, these women would talk to me about how to cope and keep going. They even checked on me during the holidays when it can be especially hard. I wanted to create a resource for women who need that kind of support, but may not necessarily have access to it in their personal lives.”
Forever Daughters matches motherless daughters with childless women, or women who have decided not to have more children, who provide guidance and encouragement.
Programs are in place to help women cope with their grief and put them on a path to reach their goals.
The “Heal2Thrive” workshop focuses on topics such as “Healing”, “Self-esteem, “Womanhood without Mom,” “Career Development,” and “Health Awareness.”
Blount stresses that the organization is for women of any age and demographic who have experienced the loss or absence of her mother.
“Losing a mother can be devastating to any woman, regardless of her age, demographic, or situation,” says Blount. “Our mission is to help these women get back on track, and encourage them to go beyond coping to healing, to empower them to live their best lives.”
Tickets for the 1st Annual Forever Daughter’s luncheon, A Call of Remembrance, are available on www.foreverdaughters.
