37°
That continued for two months after the former Mahwah resident was discharged, all because of a Facebook group comprised of more than 500 Washington Township moms — some strangers, some longtime friends — committed to having each other’s backs.
“You say one thing on the page and the next thing you know people are doing something about it,” said Roberts, who saw a need for a mom's group in Washington Township after she first moved from Mahwah in 2013.
In January 2015, Roberts and nine other Washington Township moms launched the private Facebook page.
“This time last year we were collecting donations for victims of the Edgewater fire," Roberts said.
Posts on the forum propelled several community initiatives. The moms once collected hundreds of empty milk cartons for a nursery school teacher’s classroom project and launched a book drive for a Paterson school.
They'll rally for any mom who needs the help and inspire others to do the same.
When one member lost her husband to prostate cancer, she encouraged others on the forum to tell their husbands to get checked.
Some weeks later, a member contacted the group administrators saying that the post could've helped save her husband's life.
“It’s really inspiring to be a part of a group of women that in minutes can make it happen,” said group administrator Gena DeVirgilio, who organized a group photoshoot on Feb. 7 for a photo to go along with this Daily Voice story.
“I think that sometimes people think, ‘Oh, this mom’s group is just sharing recipes all day,'" she said. “No — we’re smart, educated women who help each other through problems.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Pascack Valley and receive free news updates.
