Women of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte are hosting “Hand-Up Days” for mothers in need every first Sunday of the month as part of the Walking with Moms in Need ministry. Pictured above, volunteers welcome moms at the Parish Center nursery, providing free diapers, wipes, baby equipment and clothing – no questions asked. (Photo provided by St. Matthew Church)CHARLOTTE — It sounds simple, but sometimes what mothers need most are the basics, such as diapers, baby wipes and another mom’s listening ear. “Hand-Up Days,” a new initiative of the Walking with Moms in Need ministry at St. Matthew Parish, is providing such essentials.
Walking with Moms in Need is a parish-based outreach program launched nationwide in 2020 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to accompany women through all stages of pregnancy and in the initial years of parenthood.
St. Matthew Parish welcomed 14 mothers to its first “Hand-Up Days” Nov. 6, for women who primarily heard about the program by word of mouth, the parish bulletin and social service agency referrals. Twenty-five women stopped by Dec. 4.
“When moms come to us, we listen to them and ask what other help they need,” says Melissa Scanlon, the parish ministry’s coordinator. “We have a lot of donated goods that flow through our church, so we have connected with our donated goods ministry, food pantry and with families in the parish. We also offer clothes, car seats, pack ’n plays, strollers and baby items that moms can pick up.”
Mothers and their children can come as often as they need throughout the year. Items are given out for free, with no questions asked.
“We’ve been walking with moms in need, one at a time,” Scanlon says. “This summer when Roe v. Wade was overturned, we started talking about how we could help more moms now that North Carolina is becoming an abortion destination.”
Advocates say they believe women seeking abortion will be traveling here from surrounding states that have stricter abortion laws than North Carolina – such as South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. North Carolina allows abortion in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and after 20 weeks in cases of a health emergency.
Last spring, Bishop Peter Jugis urged parishes to redouble their pro-life advocacy at the state level and to do more to help mothers in need.
Scanlon recalls that after the Supreme Court’s overturning of federal abortion protections, the parish realized there are not many places where women can go to get diapers and essentials without filling out a lot of paperwork. “Which can be a huge process for moms,” she says. “Very few places will give you diapers with no questions asked.”
Father Peter Ascik, director of the Diocese of Charlotte Office of Family Life, is helping to bring the Walking with Moms in Need program to western North Carolina.
“Hand-Up Days are a wonderful, creative fruit of the Walking with Moms in Need program at St. Matthew. It is a great example of how parishioners there have embraced the call to ‘walk in the shoes’ of pregnant and parenting moms,” he says.
Scanlon says the consensus at the parish was that “Hand-Up Days” is a simple thing they could get started to connect with mothers and give them things like diapers, which are not covered by government assistance programs. “Their limited funds won’t go to diapers, which are getting expensive. We wanted moms to have more money for utilities and rent,” she explains.
Mothers with young children who are struggling financially are invited to pick up donated essentials during St. Matthew’s “Hand-Up Days” held at the Parish Center nursery, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month. Women of the parish are there to share light refreshments and conversation with the mothers who stop by.
“We wanted a place where moms can come any time they need diapers, or whatever they need. We listen to them and try to connect them with the resources they need. We want to walk with them,” Scanlon adds.
Father Ascik hopes this effort inspires many more parishes to begin the Walking with Moms in Need journey. “It is easy to get started,” he says, “and I am confident that the Holy Spirit will make every effort fruitful.”
— SueAnn Howell
Want to donate?
St. Matthew Parish’s Walking with Moms in Need accepts donations of diapers in all sizes, baby wipes, baby clothes (new and gently used) and baby items.
Contact Melissa Scanlon at 770-313-4084 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to donate, find out how to volunteer, or start a Walking with Moms in Need program at your parish.
Learn more at www.walkingwithmoms.com.