"I joined Tucson Moms in April 2003. I was the first of my friends to get married and have children and I always felt like my concerns (sleep deprivation, baby hasn't pooped in two days, the frustrations of colic, etc) were not understood my by childless friends no matter how hard they tried. When I was able to stop working to be a stay-at-home mom, I took it as an opportunity to find other moms to socialize with while getting some playtime for my daughter. My neighbor was a member and invited me to come check it out. My daughter fit right in with the other kids and I quickly bonded with the mothers of the group. Most of us then began to have second children to add to the group, and I was amazed by what a support network we turned out to be for each other! I took over my group as a leader when ours stepped down, and did that for two years. It has been so neat over the past few years to see all of the kids that my daughter has played with grow up, become older siblings, start school... The moms from my group are my friends and we help each other as much as possible, whether it be watching each other's kids, dinner parades at times of need, or just being a supportive ear. I recently took on a Director position for Tucson Moms and I love being a part of something that has been such a huge help for me! I am grateful for the friendships I have found for myself and my children - it is all thanks to Tucson Moms!" Jennifer

Tucson Moms History

Our Mission: Tucson Moms is dedicated to providing support to mothers and their young families through friendship, playgroups, and education within a casual, family-focused environment.

Tucson Moms was started in 2000 by two moms; Lisa Locke and Elizabeth Boccardo.  Lisa moved to Tucson from Northern California and started looking for a support group immediately.  Not having much luck, she suggested to a group of Moms she had connected with to start up a group here in town to offer support, guidance and friendship to the Tucson community.  From this idea, the very first Tucson Moms playgroup was born!  All of the women committed to volunteering and helping get the fledgling group off the ground.

In its first year, Tucson Moms was quickly established as a non-profit organization, and a website, brochure and newsletter were started within the first few months.  The brochure was distributed throughout town much like it is today; to pediatrician offices, libraries, park and recreation classes, and the like.  Many community groups and businesses were supportive with helping hand out the brochure, but word of mouth is what really grew Tucson Moms and in the first year, over 100 Moms became members.

Playgroups were formed based on location and the year a child was born.  These first groups met at Udall, Fort Lowell and Mehl Park and were for babies born in 1997, 1998, and 1999.  It’s hard to believe some of those babies are now in 5th grade!  A regular Moms Night Out and an evening speaker series followed to help add to the Tucson Mom experience.

Today, we operate very much in the same way we did in the year 2000.  We offer support and friendship to moms, children and the entire family.  We hope you and your children will join us!

Tucson Moms Co-Directors

Rebecca Esposito