Mama’s Comfort Camp

Mama’s Comfort Camp (MCC) is a peer support network created with the intention of improving maternal health through the facilitation of meaningful connections.  MCC uses the power of social media forums to create a uniquely kind culture that strengthens mothers and families and increases community resilience.  By providing a safe space for peer support and honest conversations, the struggles of motherhood are normalized.  Reducing isolation, disarming guilt, shame and blame, alleviating depression and anxiety, and facilitating deep and lasting friendships, strengthens the community and improves maternal and family mental health.  This is a surprisingly effective (and cost-effective) mechanism.

The problem

Maternal guilt, shame, and isolation cause extreme stress to mothers and families, often resulting in depression and anxiety at a great cost to family and community.  Well-meaning unsolicited advice can be hurtful and sometimes destructive to new mothers.  When humans are hurting, the foremost needs are to be seen, heard, and held.  Maternal suicide is highly correlated to the presence of acute guilt and shame. Disarming these emotions saves lives.

Our approach

We provide lovingly moderated online peer support forums that adhere to a unique set of respectful and kind community guidelines and boundaries. One forum is for emotional support issues for mothers around the world; another forum is for using online communications to facilitate real-world interactions and mutual assistance in the Ithaca area.  Since it was founded in 2012, Mama’s Comfort Camp has offered online peer support at all times: 24/7/365. We also hold local events in the Ithaca area that support and strengthen the community.  

MCC supplements mental health services in many ways: even those who have the financial ability and the courage to seek therapy and if need be medications rarely see their providers more than once a week. Having constant access to peer-to-peer emotional support, regardless of time, place, financial ability, or transportation is truly revolutionary and unique. For those who don’t have access to mental health services, MCC is the closest thing to mental health support — always available, and totally free.

Our team

Leadership Team

• Yael Saar, Founder: is a mama on a mission to remove the guilt, shame, and blame from the parenting experience, in order to make room for connection, love, and (all the) rest.  As a postpartum depression survivor, she became a mothers-support advocate and is passionate about reducing maternal isolation and normalizing the asking for help while building a community that provides it.  Yael, a mother of two boys aged 8 and 13, founded Mama’s Comfort Camp in 2012 to provide a judgment-free support network for moms of kids of any age: from new moms to grandmothers, and every stage in between!
• Hannah Shayler, Lead Moderator (“Den Mother”) works with a team of volunteers to uphold Mama’s Comfort Camp as a unique safe space as the group evolves. Hannah also works as an Extension Associate at Cornell University, where she coordinates the “Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities” research/outreach program to help lessen the impacts of soil contaminants through healthy gardening practices. She has a 5 year old son.

• Celeste Ptak, Lead Moderator has been a member of MCC from the very beginning in 2012 and has enjoyed her role in helping transform it into the unique space that it is where all moms can get support and validation through the struggles of motherhood.  Celeste received her PhD in biological chemistry in 2005; however, motherhood has created a new path in her life.  She is the mother of 4 children, a 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old triplets (girl/boy/boy).

  Advisory Board

• Erica Marx: (Board President, owner, Courageous Communications, certified mediator) communications and community outreach, online program design and delivery, systems management, mediation.
• Susie Hatch: (Formerly: The Law Guardian’s Office) nonprofit long-term view, grant writing, long history of action in the local human services community, relationships with seniors in our community.
• Gretchen Samter: development, grant writing, moderation support.
• Sally Manning: (Franziska Racker Centers) child development, community mental health issues.
• Gregg Pitts: (Natural Investment) financial advice, budget planning, governance.
• Kate Downs: planning, marketing, outreach, moderation support.
• Diane Hamilton: (Greenstar, Om Child Yoga) volunteer management, human resources, community relations.
• Elizabeth Stilwell: (Formerly: Family Reading Partnership) organizational design, early childhood advisor.

• Yamila Fournier: (Formerly: Ithaca Children’s Garden) long-term planning, volunteer management, community outreach.

  Contact information

info@mamascomfortcamp.org