McKinney moms who are looking for a group of peers to laugh with, chat with and (sometimes) commiserate with can check out the MOMS Club of McKinney West, a fun group of about 35 mothers who live within the boundaries of County Road 1461, FM720, FM2478 and Ridge Road. Group president Julie McGahey, mom of 8-year-old John and 3-year-old Jack, says the club stays active year round with service projects, playgroups and plenty of field trips. Add in the moms nights out, book club and business meetings, and you’ve got one group of super-busy mamas.
“It’s a wonderful group with wonderful women and children,” McGahey says.
"We have a monthly business meeting we call Snack N Chat. This is when we hold our monthly business meeting as well as do a craft and host a speaker or another fun activity. We also have monthly park days, lunch outings and field trips, like outings to the firehouse, Owen’s Farm, the pumpkin patch, the zoo, the library and the Heard Natural Wildlife Preserve. Our club also hosts a monthly Moms Night Out as well as a book club that meets monthly. Our club also has age-specific playgroups that were established so that moms can get to know other moms whose children are the same ages. Club dues are $24 per year. Dues are paid when a member joins and then are paid on a yearly basis the month that the member originally joined.
"We participate in service projects annually. Last year, we participated in three: The Angel Tree, a book drive and artwork displays. For the Angel Tree project, our club adopted a family for the holidays and provided presents and clothing. For the book drive, we collected books and donations from our members to donate to the new John and Judy Gay Library in McKinney, which is due to open this fall. Finally, the artwork displays consisted of collecting artwork that our members’ children had made and then taking them to a local nursing home to be displayed and visiting with the residents there.
"Our club also has special celebrations at Halloween, Christmas, Easter and an end-of-the-year banquet. Our Halloween celebration is always a big success. We plan a trunk-or-treat celebration and have a parade in our costumes and make crafts.
"My favorite part about being in the club is getting to interact with other moms in a non-threatening environment while our children are forging relationships as well. It’s a great sense of community when you can be with other moms who are going through life’s stages and raising children at the same time that you are. I also enjoy all of the great friendships that are made and how moms care for other moms. We prepare food for moms in our group who have had a baby or who have been ill. The children get along very well and make friends quickly. Many children get together to play outside of MOMS Club events. Others end up going to the same preschools and eventually elementary schools together. The friendships made in MOMS Club are lasting friendships!”
