About nine months after I had my first child, I went (with the kiddo in tow) to my first Mothers Acting Up meeting. It was my first foray, at least post-children, into an organized activist group. While the timing wasn't right for me to become a regular member, I gleaned a piece of knowledge from that meeting that I think will always stay with me. That is that mothers as a whole are a very, very large group, and if they use their power for good, they can become a force to be reckoned with.

That little gem has stuck with me over the years especially as I blog. Once I became a mom, specifically a stay at home mom, I had more time to think about the things in the world that I wanted to make better and the ways that I could make a difference, no matter how small, in the life of my child or the life of another mother or child. That was actually my motivation behind starting my blog in the first place. I came to realize that, in the words of Edward Everett Hale, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."

I often think about all of the power we as women and we as mothers have and wish there was an easy way we could harness it. Thanks to access to the Internet, getting involved and harnessing that power is easier now than ever before. If you are looking for a way to affect some change for the better in your world or the lives of children around the world, chances are there is an organization out there that's right for you.

Here are some of the mother-centric advocacy groups out there:

MomsRising

... is working to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America. Started in May of 2006, MomsRising has gained over 140,000 citizen members and is rapidly growing. More than 85 national and state organizations have signed on to be aligned with MomsRising.

Our members are bringing important motherhood and family issues to the forefront of the country's awareness. We are working to create both cultural and legislative change. It is time to break the logjam that has been holding back family-friendly legislation for decades and to advance workplace policies that will support families.

MomsRising offers easy entry into citizen advocacy and is bringing the power of online organizing to motherhood and family issues.

Mothers & More

...is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers through support, education and advocacy.

We address mothers’ needs as individuals and members of society, and promote the value of all the work mothers do.

Mothers Acting Up

...exists to inspire and mobilize mothers (and others) to advocate on behalf of the world's children.
MAU inspires, educates and engages mothers — a gigantic force to be reckoned with— to prioritize children in our corporate and public policies. MAU believes that when mothers lead, generations of global citizens will follow.

Children's Defense Fund

...The voice for all the children of America. The Children's Defense Fund’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves.

We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities.

When Ava was just shy of a year old, my husband with Ava on his shoulders and I walked in the annual Mothers Acting Up Mother's Day parade on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colo. The parade was followed by a rally in front of the courthouse and it was a pretty powerful event to be a part of as I celebrated my very first Mother's Day as a mom. As the mothers (and others) walked in the parade we chanted, "Ain't no power like the power of the mama and the power of the mama don't stop." Remember that, mamas. The power is ours for the taking. We are women. Hear us roar.

Activist mommy bloggers and other activism sites:
Moms for Modesty
Mojo Mom
Eco Child's Play
Moms Speak Up
MOMocrats
Nature Moms Blog
PunditMom
Healthy Child, Healthy World
Feminist Moms
Mothers Acting Up (blog)
Attachment Parenting International

Contributing editor Amy Gates writes about attachment parenting, activism, green living and photography at Crunchy Domestic Goddess.