South Jersey MOM Celebrates Third Anniversary
Motherhood can be one of the toughest jobs a person can undertake.
For that reason, Adrienne Richardson, of Vineland, decided to create a magazine compiled of real-life stories written by true-life moms for mothers and mothers-to-be in South Jersey.
South Jersey MOM, with a mission of empowering and recognizing mothers and all that they do, recently celebrated its third anniversary.
 View full size Staff photo by Cindy Hepner. Adrienne Richardson works out of her home producing a magazine called South Jersey MOM.
“I always had big hopes and dreams that it would be around for a long time,” Richardson said. “It’s grown so much. Everyday I’m just like, ‘Wow!’”
Richardson decided to launch the magazine in 2005 after she lost her public relations job only two weeks before Christmas. At the time, she was five months pregnant.
“I was completely devastated,” she said. “Who was going to hire a pregnant woman who was going to be leaving in a few months and then take a maternity leave?”
Richardson did the only thing she could at the time and called the unemployment office.
“When you’re on unemployment, you have to take courses and attend classes,” she said. “One thing they told us was if we had an idea for a business, submit it to the state.”
While she was home and pregnant with her son, she began reading as much as she could about parenthood. She soon discovered there aren’t many resources available for mothers in the area. It was at that time she decided she wanted to start her own magazine for mothers.
Finally, she gave birth to her child on her own birthday, she said.
“There were complications with the delivery,” she explained. “He had a heart condition and immediately went to the (neonatal intensive care unit).”
She brought her son home with a heart monitor and heart medications after almost a week in the hospital.
“Shortly after that, I started crying all the time,” Richardson said. “I was homicidal, suicidal, and it was really bad. I had every possible symptom of postpartum depression.”
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At that point, any ideas she had for creating a parenting magazine were forgotten.
“With a lot of support from my family and my doctor, I survived,” she said. “Once I got better, I knew I really had to start the magazine.”
During her illness, she said she felt isolated, alone and ashamed.
“I probably did that myself, feeling isolated,” she said. “PPD makes you feel ashamed and you don’t want anyone to know how you are feeling.”
She buckled down and worked very hard and within nine months, the first issue of South Jersey MOM was released in January 2007.
Since that time, Richardson has written about PPD, childhood development, grieving the loss of a child and many other topics.
“Every May we talk about postpartum depression,” she said. “I always get e-mails thanking me for talking about it. And it brings me back to how it was for me and how I survived it.”
During the past three years, Richardson said the magazine has grown in leaps and bounds.
“Back then we had one advertiser,” she said. “Now we have 80.”
Richardson said the free publication is almost totally funded by advertisers.
South Jersey MOM is available through subscription and can also be picked up for free in local libraries, OB/GYN and pediatrician offices, children’s play places and preschools, according to Richardson.
South Jersey MOM serves Gloucester, Camden and Salem counties in addition to Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May and Camden counties.
For more information, visit the Web site at www.southjerseymom.com.
Jan. 20, 2010
Contact: Adrienne Richardson
856.305.3490 (Cell)
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Release Date: Immediate
SOUTH JERSEY MOM MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER PARENTING CONFERENCE TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE PARENTS
VINELAND, N.J. -- Every mom and dad wants to be the best parent they can be and South Jersey MOM Magazine is on a mission to educate and inspire them. South Jersey MOM will host its first annual parenting conference on Sunday, April 18, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Mt. Laurel Marriott.
This fun, fast-paced conference gets started with standup comedienne Dena Blizzard. Blizzard 's comedic take on marriage, motherhood and Miss America has garnered her the title “One Funny Mother.” She has performed all over the country including the Comedy Stop at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City. Blizzard has three children and resides in South Jersey.
After Blizzard's performance, attendees can choose from several breakout sessions led by local parenting experts, fitness and health professionals and other motivational speakers. Sessions include topics such as overcoming power struggles with your children, balancing family, work and personal time, promoting positive self-esteem, parenting the special needs child and much more!
The lunch keynote speaker is Karen Rogers, traffic and weather anchor for Philadelphia's Action News. In addition to her work at 6abc, Rogers is active in supporting young people and fighting against child abuse. Rogers resides in South Jersey with her husband and two children.
After lunch, attendees participate in more educational sessions and end the day with Vicki Glembocki, author of the memoir The Second Nine Months: One Woman Tells the Real Truth About Becoming a Mom. Finally. Glembocki appeared on Oprah as one of “the boldest moms in the country” and is an award-winning magazine writer and essayist, a writer-at-large for Philadelphia Magazine, a columnist for Reader’s Digest and a blogger. She lives in Westmont, NJ with her husband and two daughters.
Parents can register to attend the event for just $99 per person. The fee includes breakfast, lunch and access to all speakers and breakout sessions. Add in the free massages, mini-facials and amazing prizes and the South Jersey MOM Conference for Parents is an excellent one-stop shopping opportunity for parents! To learn more, visit www.sjmomparentconference.com. Businesses interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the event should contact Adrienne Richardson at 856.692.MOMS.
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Adrienne Richardson, owner of South Jersey MOM Magazine, is available for interviews and can be reached at 856.305.3490 or
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. South Jersey MOM is the only parenting publication serving all seven South Jersey counties. Learn more about the magazine at www.southjerseymom.com.
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