08/10/2026
19 YEARS AGO TODAY, EVERYTHING CHANGED.
I can still picture her.
Amanda Moon was lying on the couch in her living room, quietly doodling butterflies on a piece of paper.
I was sitting nearby, talking.
And talking.
And talking.
And honestly? For the first 10 minutes, I wasn't sure she was listening.
It was August 10, 2007, and I had walked into Amanda's home with a vision of what I thought Let There Be Mom would do.
The problem was… I had no idea what I was doing.
I knew what I thought this organization should look like. I knew I wanted to help moms who were facing a life-threatening illness create things their children could hold onto for years to come.
But I had never sat across from a mom in this situation before.
I had never done this.
I didn't know what the Lord had called me to do - what did He have in mind?
And as I sat there talking to Amanda while she continued drawing butterflies, I remember thinking, I'm not sure this is going to work.
So I prayed: “Lord, You brought me here. I need You, please make this work.”
And He did, somehow, something clicked.
Amanda began to talk.
And that conversation became the beginning of Let There Be Mom.
Amanda told us about her life, her family and her daughter, Madison, who was just three years old. She began sharing the things she wanted Madison to always know about her.
And then we got to work.
We created a scrapbook of Amanda's life—with about 40 women coming together to make it happen. We made quilts from her clothing. A photographer came in. Thumbprint charms were created. Pottery was painted. Letters were written.
People showed up.
And that has been the story of Let There Be Mom ever since.
People show up.
Over the years, our process has evolved. Those early families received several meaningful projects. Today, we create 12–15 gifts for each child—some for right now and most intentionally designed for milestones throughout that child's life.
Parents choose the moments they want to be able to “show up” for.
A birthday.
Graduation.
A wedding day.
A first home.
A moment when their child becomes a parent.
We help create those gifts, wrap them, label them and give them to the family—so that even when a parent can no longer physically be there, their love can still show up.
Some things have changed.
Some things haven't.
The scrapbook our volunteers created in 2007 probably wouldn't look quite the same today. (Can you imagine asking someone for 400 photos of their entire life now? You probably took 400 last month—and half of them were pictures of your food. 😂)
But the thumbprint charm? Still a staple.
And most importantly, the purpose hasn't changed.
The gifts we made for children in 2007 are just as treasured as the gifts we are creating in 2026.
That little organization I wasn't sure would work?
It grew.
Two months after meeting Amanda, we held our very first Dine Out for Mom.
This October 22, we'll hold our 20th Annual Dine Out for Mom.
And as we move into 2027, we'll celebrate 20 years of Let There Be Mom.
I don't think I could have imagined any of this while sitting in Amanda's living room that day.
I certainly couldn't have imagined the hundreds of families we would eventually serve, the thousands of projects that would be created, or the incredible community that would come alongside us and make it all possible.
But I do know this:
Let There Be Mom has never been the work of one person.
It has always taken a village.
It takes the people who financially support us.
The people who pray for us and for the families we serve.
The volunteers who have given their time and talents over the years.
Our small but mighty staff.
Our board members.
Our student ambassadors.
The people who refer families to us.
The crafters, artisans, photographers and makers who turn an idea into something tangible.
The businesses that support us by creating projects for families or donating their skills to help our organization.
And every single person who has ever said, “Yes. I'll help.”
A lot of people are involved in making this happen.
Today, I am incredibly grateful for every single one of you.
Because 19 years ago today, I walked into Amanda Moon's living room with a vision.
I walked out with the beginning of Let There Be Mom.
And all these years later, I am still amazed by what God has done with it.
Thank you for being part of the story.
