Moms everywhere love information, cautionary tales, and personal experiences. More importantly, many moms just want to belong to a community of other moms, like themselves, who they can connect with in real life or online.
I did a brief inventory of my own group membership and found over 38 groups that had the word mom, family, or parent in the title. I belong to the groups I administrate for Neapolitan Family, plus some based on local mom interests, parents of students at Florida State University, University of Florida, and parents of students at both FSU and UF. Parents of Greeks, parents of pre-law, parents of study abroad, parents who belong to my same religion, and parents that have children with a disease in common.
There seems to be a Facebook group for every kind of parent of every kind of family. Launched in 2010, nearly six years after the inception of Facebook, groups can be public, private, or secret, and members can be accepted, denied, and blocked by the administrators and moderators. Even though most groups now offer the anonymous post option to maintain a safe space for the members, nothing on Facebook is ever 100% private.
In the pandemic era, communicating in groups became an even more important way for moms to stay connected. And, in response to difficulties brought on by the pandemic and the recent catastrophic hurricane, some groups began to offer financial support and donations to struggling moms, and even staged a few middle of the night escapes to women suffering from domestic abuse.
I spoke to several local moms’ groups, and one created just for dads, about the evolution of their groups and how they became such a powerful source of support in our community.
Naples Moms 2.0: 21,100 members
The Naples Moms Group (2.0) was founded in 2018 by Naples Realtor Judy Huntley. She created the group the same day that the original Naples Moms Group was archived without warning. Because of the size of the group, Judy relies on moderators Nadine Eubanks and Renee Kirnon to monitor posts and approve new members. The group is made up of new and seasoned moms, grandmothers, and moms-to-be.
Naples Moms 2.0 members Lauren Smith and Lyndsey Creech at the first annual holiday market event at Baker Park in 2021.
The most popular topics are not surprising: baby weaning, breast feeding, general parenting, marriage troubles, and searching for babysitters, photographers, day care, and health care providers. Not surprisingly, off-limit topics included politics and opinions about circumcision and vaccines.
There are sub groups for more specific conversations such as Naples Moms Marketplace for members to sell their personal items or to advertise their businesses, Naples Moms Virtual/Homeschooling Co-Op, Naples Moms Newcomers, as well as their own neighborhood page, Golden Gate Estates Neighbors: Advice, Tips & News.
The group also has hosted an annual holiday bazaar event, complete with mom-owned business vendors, entertainment, and food trucks.
Harnessing help beyond advice became a huge focus of the group in recent years. “During COVID, we paid rents and utilities and brought groceries to our fellow moms in need who found themselves suddenly without income,” Huntley told us. “We mobilized again after Hurricane Ian as we filled our members’ trunks with donated goods and brought them directly to the hardest hit areas in both Naples and Fort Myers, offering hope, water, ice, diapers, and even insulin. We fed an entire apartment complex of kids that hadn’t had power in weeks with a huge pizza party and brought loads of diapers and wipes.”
In addition to recent crises, the group raises thousands of dollars each Christmas and sends that money to surprise dozens of families who needed a little miracle. They also have helped pediatric cancer patients go on Disney trips, and delivered a carload of gifts, goods, and gift cards to a secret women’s shelter in Immokalee.
“We have a secret side group of women who have the resources to move mountains, and I can reach out to them with the bigger tasks,” Huntley says.
“One time, a group member submitted an anonymous post about needing a bus ticket out of here to get to family and away from an abuser,” she reflects. “My daughter and I drove straight over and brought them to The Shelter Naples. We ended up caring for her daughter briefly while she worked and got on her feet. I am happy and proud to say that today she is doing amazing, is employed, has her own place, and is getting married to a wonderful man. I am so proud to know her.”
Huntley says helping women who need to leave abusive relationships and start over has been some of the most “meaningful moments of my life.”
The Real Moms of Naples at The Axe Lodge.
The Real Moms of Naples: 13,000 members
Around the same time Naples Moms 2.0 was created, another local mom and Realtor, Karly Carballea, created her own group. The Real Moms of Naples also is made up of all kinds of moms and caregivers who often belong to both groups to increase their crowdsourcing of information and opinions. For that reason, Carballea recently changed the name from Moms of Naples to The Real Moms of Naples so people would not get confused as to which group they were posting in. The topics are similar to the other mom groups but, according to Carbella, no subject is off limits as long as the conversation remains kind and respectful.
Carballea plans a monthly event that any member can attend so that they can meet other moms in real life and become friends, while patronizing the small, local businesses that often struggled during the pandemic and recent hurricanes. She also has planned volunteer events for local nonprofits such as Beverly’s Angels and Salvation Army, including a pop-up shop where families could select necessities from donated items. She currently is working on a project that will include a quarterly nonprofit event.
Naples Moms of Tweens and Teens at Felipe's Taqueria.
Naples Moms of Tweens and Teens (MOTTS): 1,118 members
This group was created by three moms because the local social media groups available in our area in 2019 were geared toward moms of infants, toddlers, and younger elementary-age children. “Parenting tweens and teens introduces daily challenges and practices in patience,” moderator Jennifer Stoneburner explains. “This group has developed a relaxed environment where moms understand that they are not alone in riding the roller coaster of parenting adolescents and budding adults.”
Stoneburner says that the best thing about the group is that the moms do not judge, and instead find ways to support, understand, and sympathize with one another.
She says the most popular posts are those that shine a humorous light on this chapter in our journey. Off-limit topics include religion, politics, and hate speech.
The group hosts a MOTTS Night Out the first week each month at a locally owned establishment, in addition to occasional daytime coffee meet-ups. “Personally, it has been amazing to observe the fellowship and the camaraderie among a group of like-minded women,” Stoneburner says. “Friendships have been forged in these monthly meet-ups, and that is what it is all about.”
Candid Moments Photography
The Posh Mama Club of Naples
The Posh Mama Club of Naples: 118 members
Moms who trend toward a more glamorous lifestyle, or who aspire to, will find like-minded mamas in The Posh Mama Club of Naples. Founded by Emely Darby, a former corporate social responsibility and public relations director, the club was created to become a safe haven for fashion-forward mothers who want a little bit of glitz and glam in between the tantrums, diaper changes, and chaos.
TPMC focuses on the mothers’ morale through fashion expression, networking, empowerment, and fun, Darby says. She is proud that this is a diverse group of like-minded current/former entrepreneurs, educators, attorneys, brokers, physicians, and stay-at-home mamas who share a passion for fashion, beauty, and staying active within the community.
Darby says that the most popular group topics are self-identity, empowerment, latest trends, business goals, self-reflection, and the next brunch or happy hour spot, with the goal of creating “genuine friendships with women who feel the same and creating a safe space away from conflict.”
The group hosts at least four private socials per month, plus a book club and a Posh Kids social.
TPMC hosts an annual “PoshGiving” to benefit The Shelter for Abused Women and Children, and has collaborated with Cancer Alliance of Naples, Humane Society, Make-A-Wish, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation South Gulf Coast Chapter.
Dads of Naples: 202 members
Are there any Facebook groups just for local dads? We found one. Dads of Naples is moderated by Jay Weitzner, who owns Symmetry Exercise Clinic in Naples. The group was created for dads to have a place to connect and have a “dad-perspective” of events, topics, and things to do in general. While the group does not have as many members as the moms’ groups, Weitzner plans to host live events to build the group, which he says is diverse in every way, including, politically, professionally, and economically, but “it’s no Reddit,” he jokes.
We regret that Karly Carbellea's name was misspelled in the May issue.