Swampscott, Massachusetts

Swampscott native, Jill (Epstein) Smokler, also known as “Scary Mommy,” is the founder and force behind a very popular “mommy” blog (www.ScaryMommy.com).  Three years ago, a handful of mothers confessed on her blog that they could not afford to pay for a real Thanksgiving dinner with their families.  When Jill read this, she leaped into action and in less than a week was able to raise more than $20,000 from the Scary Mommy community; enough money to help feed more than 400 families.  Nobody was trying to save the world; they just wanted to make a difference in the lives of a few families.  The efforts of the nearly 700 individual donors were featured on national television on ABC’s Nightline and Good Morning America.

This is how Scary Mommy Nation, now a not-for-profit charity was born.

www.ScaryMommy.com showcases a variety of viewpoints and perspectives from mothers everywhere.  As Jill says, “underneath all of our differences - behind all of that which too often divides us - the wonder of a mother’s love for her children is universal.  And what can be more instinctually maternal than wanting to be able to nurture and provide for your family?  That is the simple beauty of the Thanksgiving Project.  Our children - and our struggle for their well-being - is what connects this community.  Last year alone, we received 2,765 applications and were able to fulfill each and every one.  It’s time to do it all over again.”

Welcome to the 2194 Scary Mommy Thanksgiving Project!

If any readers can afford to help a struggling family, please go to www.ScaryMommyNation.com.  Fifty dollars buys an entire dinner - you can, of course, give less and be grouped with other donors, or give more and sponsor multiple families.  All contributions are tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) to the full extent allowed by law.  Thanksgiving is very soon and donations must be made right away.

Last year, Scary Mommy Nation raised over $160,000 in a matter of weeks and supplied over 3,000 struggling families with a holiday dinner they otherwise would have gone without.  With your help, we can do better this year.

Jill is a New York Times bestselling author of Simon & Schuster’s Confessions of a Scary Mommy (April 2012), Motherhood Comes Naturally (And Other Vicious Lies) (April 2013), and Scary Mommy’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays (November 2014).  Jill’s honest take on parenting has appeared in countless publications and on television programs including The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, Bethenny, and Fox and Friends.  Jill has a vocal social media presence as well with over a million followers on Facebook and Twitter alone, and her blog now averages 30 million page views a month!

For more information, go to www.ScaryMpommyNation. com or www.ScaryMommy.com.  Jill Smokler is the daughter of Swampscott resident, Drew Epstein.