The journey of Mamas for Mamas Vancouver began early in 2018 after the CEO and Founder, Shannon Christensen, flew out to Vancouver to meet with an interested volunteer to discuss the expansion and vision of the organization. Soon after that, our online presence grew and now two years later, we have 12 active Facebook Chapters throughout the lower mainland and an Instagram page.
As our community awareness expanded, we quickly realized that our dreams of reaching more families in need and creating a safe place for Mamas to visit were going to become a reality. In September of 2020, the first Vancouver Branch office opened its doors. Our team of volunteers and our incredible donors and sponsors continue to grow rapidly, and due to that, we are able to keep up with our mission of always trying to make sure that no Mama or child is left behind.
As we continue on this path of filing in the gaps and hoping to change the systems that contribute to the vicious cycle of poverty, we remain profoundly grateful to everyone that supports us and believes in our goal of providing a hand up, not just a hand out, to families who are facing a crisis.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Karma Market and the limitless generosity of our community, we have had to make some changes to our operating procedures. The high volume of shoppers and donations has put an incredible strain on our space and our volunteer mama-power. We are implementing these changes to ensure every mama in need receives a hand up and not just a handout. Please understand that these changes are needed for the continued success of the Market and to meet the demand of mamas who need to access our services.
We thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Upon entering the KarmaMarket for your shop, please visit the sanitization station. We ask that you use the hand sanitizer, as well as any children accompanying you on your visit. Please note that only one person from your household can come to the store at a time. Gloves and masks will be provided for your comfort.
If children are accompanying you, please note our playroom and den are closed to the public and no child care will be provided. There will be designated seating for your children, or we ask you have your children with you at all times in the store.
We ask that you please cancel the appointment if anything of the below pertains to you:
anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and painful swallowing, must self-isolate at home for a minimum of 10 days
anyone under the direction of the provincial health officer to self-isolate must follow those instructions
anyone who has arrived from outside of Canada, or who is a contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case, to self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms
Please do not bring reusable bags with you, we will provide you with a bag for your shop.
Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.
We can only accept brand new / like new items for our Karma Market. We are organizing monthly swaps to facilitate mamas sharing and donating items that will no longer be at the Mamas Karma Market. Thank you for your understanding our need to set limitations that will ensure the continued success of the market without burning out our volunteers or duplicating services
We still accept the following items at the Karma Market by appointment only:
Brand new/ like new clothing for all members of the family in condition.
Experience a 6-week psychoeducational group from the comfort of your own home. This course consists of education, tips, tricks and tools on how to help combat anxiety and depression. Each week will offer a live session with a qualified counsellor to guide you through the program and answer any questions you may have. There will also be learning activities and goals to complete at your own pace. Attendance is not mandatory but suggested. If you are unable to attend the live session, you will be able to go back and watch so you don’t miss anything. When all the sessions and workbooks are completed within the 6 weeks you will receive a certificate of completion. Please note all work has to be completed in the 6-week time frame to be considered complete.
The anxiety and depression group begins Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021 and runs to March 9th, 2021. Live sessions will be every Tuesday 10-11:30 am PST.
Life’s not perfect, but together we can help make it better.
A small percentage of our inventory may have cosmetic imperfections such as creased or crooked labels, or smudged ink. By purchasing these factory seconds 2$ from every bottle will be donated to Mamas for Mamas.
Each Gift Basket or Box sold in the Mamas for Mamas collection, $3 will be donated. At Christmas, it will go back into creating Gift boxes for mama’s in the stressful Holiday season through their organization.
Hygee Space has created a customized candle called “MOR” (Mama) in Danish and Norwegian. When you purchase this candle through our site one candle exactly like the one you purchased will be donated to a Mama in need of a little self care.
A part of our Give Back initiatives, your purchase of this ‘Mamas for Mamas’ [note:able] greeting card supports families across Canada. For every card sold, $2.50 is donated to Mamas for Mamas, a charitable organization that supports mothers in crisis, and provides ongoing support to low-income families.
Dragonflies are one of my favourite little creatures. They symbolize change, transformation, adaptability and self-realization. What beautiful reminders for everyone, but especially any parent going through a hard time. Dragonflies remind us to have faith in times of difficulties, which is why we often see them when we are going through a period of change. I hope this necklace serves as a reminder that even on the tough days there is always a community of beautiful people supporting you.
XOXO, Sarah
* 100% of the profits of this necklace will go directly back to Mamas for Mamas.
