Vision

The Miracle of Mom’s Memory (MoMM) Foundation is dedicated to non-judgmentally executing the teachings contained in the Beatitudes in support of those in need in our community.

Mission

The Miracle of Mom’s Memory is a community of caring people proactively fulfilling the needs of the less fortunate. We honor one person at a time and accomplish one act at a time.

Objective

MoMM is a group of people who believe it is each person’s responsibility to serve others and who choose to do so in memory of a loved one that has gone before us. MoMM’s objective is to address the needs of the poor, homeless, and less fortunate through mission-driven projects, information dissemination, and volunteering time in support of causes greater than ourselves.

Needs Fulfilled

Since its inception in early 2005, MoMM has raised thousands of dollars and has used that money to fulfill needs and transform lives. From donating a car to a man with no way to get to work, to securing a computer and academic software for a single mother of three, to furnishing school supplies to an eager but underprivileged 6th grader, MoMM has been there. (For more information Click Service Stories)

History

In 2000, Phil Callaghan, teacher and coach at Dublin Scioto High School, in conjunction with the Dublin AM Rotary Club, developed the Interact Club with the purpose of providing a service-based extra-curricular option for Scioto’s students. Interact provides the base manpower for a number of local service outlets including Interfaith Hospitality, the YMCA, Columbus Parks and Recreation, and Dublin C.A.R.E.S., as well as the international Montana de Luz Project in Honduras.

In the winter of 2005 Scott Marple, while faculty advisor for the Dublin Scioto Student Senate, contacted Ken Andrews of the Open Shelter Inc. in order to establish a network of assistance for Columbus residents living “on the land.” Together, Callaghan and Marple organized a simple canned food/clothing drive to benefit the Open Shelter. The response from the school was overwhelming, and students and faculty alike were able to take the charitable items directly to the shelter to meet the residents. Additionally, Callaghan and Marple visited “the land,” in this case, a wooded area 100 yards north of Broad Street along the Scioto River where many individuals and families live in tents and makeshift huts. Going into that outing, both men thought they had an idea of what to expect. However, when the two emerged from the woods, they considered their lives forever changed, having met some amazing people whose spirit, attitude, and capacity to love truly humanized a situation most people only read about.

During this same time period, Phil Callaghan’s mother Carolyn was battling terminal cancer. The combined forces of their experience with the homeless and their witness to the end of caring, courageous, and graceful woman’s life on earth, sparked the two to action. After several months of reflection, The Miracle of Mom’s Memory Foundation was developed as a way for individuals to honor the memory of anyone who has served as a role model, with particular emphasis on the unique gift of mothers.

“Just One Thing” was the first project developed under the banner of the Miracle of Mom’s Memory Foundation. It is designed to be a service fulfillment of the lesson of the Beatitudes. Recipients of the foundation’s services are not judged, converted, or saved; they are merely given an opportunity to request “one thing” that will instantly improve their lives. Be it a kerosene heater, a suit for an interview, a jacket, a blanket, a warm meal, or perhaps a job opportunity, the Carolyn Callaghan Just One Thing Project will provide that “one thing.”

Philosophy

MOMM’s organizational philosophy is encapsulated in the teachings of the Beatitudes:

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
• Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
• Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

– Matthew 5:3-10

In today’s world, where the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” ever-widens, MoMM’s mission is further crystallized in the following words from the Christian Bible:

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

– Luke 12:48

For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked and you did not give me clothing…
I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.