created at: 2014-04-24When Betsy Cohen began volunteering for the Lauren & Mark Rubin Visiting Moms® program almost nine years ago, she never expected that she would learn as much from the moms she visits each week as they do from her. Over the years, Betsy has helped 11 women become more confident mothers, and they have given her a new perspective on mothering.

“Being a Visiting Mom is a learning experience for me. To be part of someone’s life for a year, to listen without judgment, to accept someone else’s reality that’s not my own, has opened me up to being more accepting,” said Betsy.  “I love Visiting Moms. It’s an incredible program. It appeals to so much of who I am.”

Now in its 25th year, Visiting Moms is a nationally acclaimed program, offered by the JF&CS Center for Early Relationship Support© (CERS), for pregnant women and mothers of newborns who are adjusting to a growing family. The caring volunteers who visit  moms’ homes each week to offer support and encouragement are the heart of the program.

Betsy is a therapist who specializes in health education, nutrition, and lifestyle balance. She met Peggy Kaufman, Director of CERS, almost 15 years ago when she attended the agency’s annual Women’s Breakfast. “I could tell right away that JF&CS was a great organization with great people,” she said.

In addition to Visiting Moms, Betsy is also a member of the CERS advisory committee and serves as co-chair of the agency’s Hunger and Nutrition committee. She has found her time with Visiting Moms especially rewarding, helping mothers from different cultures, others who were new to the area without family or friends nearby, and some with postpartum depression and extreme sleep deprivation.

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