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Iris was attending college, working part-time and struggling to get by financially when she learned that she was pregnant with her first child. Like
most new mothers, she wanted to do everything she could to give her baby a healthy start and the best possible life.
"I was the youngest of the four children in my own family, so I had no experience taking care of kids," she says. "I read a book on what
to expect and what to do, but I felt I needed more. Then a friend told me about MOMS."
Like most of the women MOMS serves, Iris took classes on such subjects as childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, infant development and parenting
skills. But the most valuable part of her experience with us was her one-on-one interaction with Larissa.
"I want you to know how thankful I am for your home visits," Iris wrote. "Many of the scenarios we talked  about happened, and because of the information I gained from you, I knew what to do. You
helped me become a better mom."
Today, Iris and her husband David have their hands full with little Kassandra, who was born full-term and healthy in January of 2004.
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MOMS Maternal Child Health Coordinator, Larissa,
visits with Kassandra.
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Three years later, they're still applying many of the parenting skills learned from MOMS.
"Kassandra is very bright, outspoken and not at all shy," Iris says about her three-year-old daughter. "She will walk right up to anyone and introduce herself."
By supporting MOMS, you profoundly affect many young women like Iris at one of the most crucial times in their lives--when they
first take on the enormous responsibilities and challenges of motherhood.
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