Jacynthe Jacques of Lewiston was a stay-at-home mother to her children, Gabriel, 3, and Emma, 1. She was lonely. She took her children to the public library for storytime for their enjoyment, also hoping to meet and become friends with other stay-at-home moms. That didn’t happen because she didn’t see the same moms on a consistent enough basis.

That was in 2001, when, fortunately for Jacques, a Moms Club was started in Auburn-Lewiston.

The Moms Club was part of a nationally recognized support group for at-home mothers and their children, but under a different name. In 2005, the group received pressure from the national organization to split into separate groups – one for Lewiston, the other for Auburn. The group chose, instead, to become an independent club known today as Mid Maine Moms – enabling moms from different towns, who had become good friends, to stay together.

The group’s mission, said membership coordinator Sandy Sawyer, is to “establish an avenue to meet other moms, develop friendships, offer support and to provide our children with an environment in which they can learn and grow in central Maine.”

Above all, Mid Maine Moms offers its members a circle of friendship.

“I went into it for the kids and got way more out of it for the kids and for me than I expected,” said club member Erin D’Andrea. She recalls her two boys, Nicholas, 5, and Zachary 3, running through the Auburn Mall to greet some new friends they made through the club, which hosts walks in the mall during the winter so kids and moms can get some exercise and socialize a bit.

“We get support, socialization and long, lasting friendships,” said Sawyer.

“As a mother, you can feel trapped sometimes,” said Jacques. “The club helps so that we don’t feel so isolated.”

Mid Maine Moms welcomes mothers with newborn babies. Even if your child is not old enough to play with other children, you can talk to experienced moms who know what it’s like to have an infant.

“We help relieve each other’s mommy guilt,” said D’Andrea, noting it can be helpful to talk to each other about getting a child to sleep through the night, potty training, dealing with the everyday behavioral problems of a toddler, and myriad other parenting issues. It also never hurts to hear other moms say they, too, get frustrated and may raise their voices louder than they want to at times.

“All of us have different parenting styles, but we respect each other,” said Jacques.

“I love the fact that we parent differently, because I learn from the other moms,” added D’Andrea.

The club has a Web site, www.midmainemoms.com, and members can join an e-mail loop/bulletin board, where they can access a monthly calendar and are able to communicate with other members through e-mail.

In any given month, the calendar offers these activities for at-home moms and their children: playgroups, family outings, field trips, a book club, a monthly mom’s night out (dinner without kids at a local restaurant), and a scrapbooking night. A sunshine committee also helps organize members so they can reach out to moms in need, perhaps providing meals when someone has a baby or a family member is ill.

The group has also helped children learn about giving to others.

Recently, several moms and children from the club got together and collected items for care packages to be sent to local soldiers serving in Iraq.

Recent field trips have included visits to the Auburn fire station, the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray and Crescent Beach in Auburn. Members have also opened up their homes to the group for a summer pool party and a teddy bear picnic.

While the original club was a nationally based club for at-home moms in a small local area, Mid Maine Moms includes mothers who work and live in and around Lewiston-Auburn. Besides L-A, members make their homes in Monmouth, Sabattus, Poland, Greene, Turner and Durham.

Many members have part-time jobs and join group activities on their days off. Even members who have gone back to work full time find a way to stay connected with the group by taking part in evening activities like mom’s night out and the monthly book club at Starbucks in Auburn.

The club is always accepting new members, according to Sawyer. In fact, “the more, the merrier,” she said. Anyone wishing to join the club may do so for free for one month. After that, they can join for $15 for the year. Dues help pay for craft and party supplies, special programs, business supplies like postage and photocopies and the annual summer family picnic. Recognizing that many families have tight budgets, the club urges potential members to talk to a club officer if the dues would be a hardship. Anyone interested in joining Mid Maine Moms may contact Sawyer at [email protected].