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Five Diverse Women,
One Shared Commitment:
Intentional Moms Names
2010 Intentional Moms of the Year

Jenny Sanford, Kim Hamilton Anthony, Sonya Carson,
Geraldine Jansen and Peggy Collins are the 2010 honorees;
Through Mother’s Day, vote for the “People’s Choice”
at www.intentionalmoms.org

DELRAY BEACH, FL – April 8, 2010 – One has been in the media spotlight as the former wife of South Carolina’s governor. Another broke ground as UCLA’s first African-American female gymnastics champion. Two are best known for the children they raised – a pioneering neurosurgeon and Olympic speed-skating champion, respectively. And one simply worked quietly and steadily to raise three children on her own in a foreign land – an effort that, until now, was recognized only by the family she nurtured through life’s travails. Each of these women has a singular story to tell. What they share is a certain grace, a faith in God, and a commitment to mothering with intention. It is these qualities that have led Jenny Sanford, Kim Hamilton Anthony, Sonya Carson, Geraldine Jansen and Peggy Collins to be named the 2010 Intentional Moms of the Year.

The Intentional Moms of the Year award was created three years ago by Catherine Hickem, L.C.S.W., motherhood expert and founder of the non-profit organization, Intentional Moms (IM!). This year, Hickem has expanded the awards program, using it as a national platform to launch the “Decade of the Intentional Mom.” It is all part of Hickem’s effort to reach moms across the U.S. with her message to “Think About It,” and to provide hope and encouragement as mothers strive to raise their children without regret.

Profiles of these outstanding five women have been posted on the Intentional Moms website at http://www.intentionalmoms.org, with an invitation for viewers to cast a vote for the honoree whose story inspires them most. The “People’s Choice” winner will be announced on Mother’s Day – May 9, 2010 – and will receive The Pearl Award in recognition of “the woman whose approach most symbolizes enduring love, an intentional mindset, and extraordinary faith in the midst of motherhood.”

Here are highlights from the profiles of each of the 2010 Intentional Moms of the Year:

•    Jenny Sanford: South Carolina’s former First Lady is now making headlines of her own for her most cherished role – that of mother to her four sons, ages 11-17. A private woman leading a public life, Jenny has never lost sight of the opportunity to use daily experiences in order to instill values in her boys as they grow into men. Throughout the challenges of the last year, she has modeled for her sons a peaceful woman who has not allowed the pain of life to change her or her home. Instead, her faith in Christ has given all of them a foundation on which to build a new life.

•    Kim Hamilton Anthony: An inspiration to countless young athletes as well as her own two boys, Kim triumphed over an impoverished home life in order to become UCLA’s first African-American female gymnastics champion. She models the tenets of intentional mothering by respecting her children and expecting respect in return. She allows her boys the freedom to choose and the responsibility that comes with decisions, believing that “tough lessons learned early equal wiser choices in the future.” And she is open to the lessons her sons can offer her as well, learning from them not to dwell on mistakes and that it’s okay not to be perfect.

•    Sonya Carson: Raising two young sons alone in the inner cities of Detroit and Boston, Sonya abided by the motto “Learn to do your best and God will do the rest” as she worked multiple jobs in order to make ends meet. She demanded the best from her sons, requiring of them weekly book reports that (they discovered later) she herself was unable to read with her third-grade education. Her perseverance paid off with both sons achieving academic success and one, Ben, gaining international renown as the first neurosurgeon to successfully separate twins conjoined at the head.

•    Geraldine Jansen: The mother of Olympic champion Dan Jansen raised nine children with a fortitude incongruous to her petite frame and an abundance that belied the family’s modest means. Aided by a strong faith, Gerry created a sense of wellbeing that sustained the family through the tragic death of daughter Jane to leukemia – a loss captured worldwide as Dan fell in his Olympic quest just hours after learning of his sister’s death. Six years later, Dan’s gold medal performance, and his winner’s lap with infant daughter, Jane, in his arms, served as a symbol of hope to the world and a personal testament to a mother’s determination and sustaining love.

•    Peggy Collins: Born in Japan, Peggy married an American military officer, then found herself alone in the U.S. to raise their three children with no family, no support system, and little knowledge of English. Her lighthearted spirit never wavered as she juggled the demands of two jobs, serving a fresh cooked breakfast every morning when work required her to be away in the evenings, and finding a church with a bus ministry for her children while she worked Sundays. Although the Japanese culture emphasizes the collective over the individual, Peggy celebrated the unique qualities of each of her children, instilling in them a strong sense of self-worth on which to build their own lives.

For more information on how each of these women models the tenets of intentional motherhood, and to cast a vote for the “People’s Choice” Intentional Mom of the Year, visit http://www.intentionalmoms.org.

Defining the “Decade of the Intentional Mom”

By establishing the Decade of the Intentional Mom, Hickem seeks to shine a spotlight on motherhood’s lifelong journey, addressing the unique needs of moms through their respective filters, including birth moms, adoptive moms, single moms, military moms, moms of special needs children, moms in pain as well as moms in nuclear families. The campaign will provide information, insights, support and a host of resources for moms through the IM! website, Facebook, Twitter and Hickem’s books, newsletters, blog, seminars and workshops. A special “For Dads Only” on the IM! website provides guidance to dads on topics and issues related to parenting.

About Catherine Hickem and Intentional Moms

A mother of an adopted son and birth daughter (now in their 20’s), Hickem uses her own rich experience as a mom and her clinical and business coaching background to inform her work. Hickem’s popular seminars, which can be tailored to secular or faith-based audiences, address such topics as: “7 Principles of Intentional Moms,” “How to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Children,” and “7 Secrets of Parenting Your Adult Children.” She hosts “mom retreats” and offers numerous other resources through Intentional Moms. She has published CDs and other products based on her programs.
Intentional Moms was formed in 2005 as a non-profit organization whose purpose is to serve as the national resource for information, support and insights on motherhood. Through it, Hickem challenges mothers to think about what they are doing with their parenting role and to be proactive in their relationships in all seasons of mothering.

For more information, contact Intentional Moms at P.O. Box 6517, Delray Beach, FL; (800) 844-0711 or (561) 279-8343; www.intentionalmoms.org.
Get to know Catherine Hickem and Intentional Moms on Facebook and Twitter (@intentionalmoms or @catherinehickem).

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