Hello friends!
My name is Martha Christianson. I am a proud rainbow mom, and an executive member of Free Mom Hugs Southern Ontario, since 2019. I am also a proud Hamiltonian, with a deeply-rooted connection to GHA artists, musicians, and crafters. This community has really come together, offering support to our group, and our first fundraising initiative, \”Love, Mom\”.
Free Mom Hugs Southern Ontario, while not yet registered as a Non-Profit Organization, is a grass roots, non- religious group that supports and offers resources to many Non-Profit groups in Southern Ontario, including London Pride, Speqtrum For Youth, Pride Hamilton, PFLAG, Binbrook Pride, Pride Haldimand-Norfolk, Toronto Pride, and several other wonderful organizations.
We are a group of over 2000 Moms, Dads, family members and allies, who offer unconditional love and support all year long. We travel across Southern Ontario, showing support for the 2SLGBTQQIA community, advocating, marching, celebrating, and of course hugging! We collectively have given tens of thousands of hugs, mostly real, and some of them, during the pandemic, chocolate.
Some hugs are unforgettable, like the wonderful seventy-year-old, who in full hug, whispered \”I haven\’t had a hug from my mom in over forty years. Thank you.\”, and then broke down in tears. The parade carried on, and so did the hug. A sixteen-year-old, who isn\’t safe to be who they are at home, now has our website, resources, and a loving, safe, community. It\’s a huge honour, this hugging.
Please find below a link to our website, and more information about our upcoming fundraiser, to be held on Thursday, November 10, 2022, 7:00 pm – 12:00 am, in The Imperial Cotton Room at the Cotton Factory.
Twenty percent of all Free Mom Hugs Southern Ontario proceeds are passed along to Bunny Wilson\’s Indigenous Scholarship Foundation; because sometimes, Moms need help helping.
We are very hopeful that you might help us hug!
How can you help?
- Donate your products or services to our silent art auction, or to our raffle of Mom\’s Massive Care Package. This basket is loaded with local treats & event passes, all with the goal of caring for self, the environment, and others.
- Paint a drinking glass (glass and paint supplied- see more below).
- Bid on glassware, and/or art, through our online silent auction, beginning October 1st
- Buy a ticket to our event if you can attend, or raffle tickets, if you can\’t join the festivities. Tickets available through Eventbrite, October 1st
- Join our Facebook or Instagram group, and show your support
- Buy a Special Edition \”Love, Mom\” Free Mom (or Dad, or Ally) t-shirt, available to order on our website, beginning October 1st
- Spread the word about us, and our event, by sharing our posts.
- Send us a video shout out, to be shown on our socials, and/or on the video screen, at our event.
We are debuting \”Euphoria\”, a marvellous collection of portrait photography, celebrating 2-spirit, trans, and gender fluid folk, photographed and curated by our dear friend José Crespo. \”Euphoria\”, shares the often-challenging path to gender euphoria.
Volunteers, artists, and celebrities are painting glassware, and donating art for our online auctions.
Live entertainment, with some of Ontario\’s most talented, performing artists. Generous contributing artists include:
- Tom Wilson
- Scott Barnim
- E. Robert Ross
- Joan Krygsman/Striped Aardvark
- Wendy & Lief Peng
- Ingrid Costello and her Clandestine Lovers
- George Whiteside
- Mads Walker
- Robin Magder
- The Still Water Singers
- Rachel Heart & Super Delux
- Lick The Beater Bakery
- The Cotton Factory
- The Hamilton Aerial Group
The evening will begin with a land acknowledgment, and performance by The Still Water Singers, followed by a DJ spinning 80\’s and 90\’s tunes, and a bevy of wonderful musicians and performers.
Our event aims to be zero-waste, by eliminating plastic and paper, and by auctioning hand-painted glassware available to purchase in advance online, and at the celebration. Guests use their glassware throughout the evening, and have a slightly sticky keepsake of our event.
It is important to our group that we model kindness to self, the environment, and to others, by celebrating our phenomenal community, while leaving the smallest footprint possible.
We will be offering vegan & vegetarian nibbles, a cash bar, wonderful wares on auction, and live entertainment all night.
Please let me know when we can chat about possibilities.
Tickets are $30, and both tickets and our auction site open Saturday October 1st!
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration,
Love, Mom
Martha Christianson (She/Her)
Mom/Rainbow Mom/Grandy
Cell 905-730-1155
https://freemomhugsso.ca