A bit of news to keep you in the know about things happening with Multiples of America. Be sure to check out the quiz at the bottom for your chance to win a gift card!

A Winner!
48 members emailed their answers to the November quiz. A perfect score is not the aim; everyone who joins in the fun is entered into the drawing. Here’s a rundown on all of the book titles that were featured in last month’s quiz:
Individuality by Ali Dunn (who is a mother of twins)
Strega Nona and the Twins by Tomie dePaola
One by Sarah Crossan
Parent Like a Triplet by Kari Ertresvag (who is an identical triplet)
Deliberately Divided: Inside the Controversial Study of Twins and Triplets Adopted Apart by Dr. Nancy Segal (who is a researcher and a twin)

Winner of the gift card drawing was Judy Zobele, Garden State MOMs (NJ). Find the December quiz at the end of this email. Just click on the link and you’ll be able to answer quickly and easily on the pre-filled form!

Happy Holidays
Our Executive Office and board of directors wish each of you a wondrous holiday season.
May the carols whirring all around bring memories of joys in holidays past.
May the colorful lights shining in streets and homes be a beacon of hope for today.
May the new year ring in new joys and new opportunities. 

Board News
The board is working with our volunteers to deliver the services and benefits you enjoy from year to year as well as to develop new initiatives focused on support and connection. Here’s a few of our latest moves:

• Our Research team is developing some quick one and two-question surveys which will be distributed through social media in the next few months. They also hope to reissue a previous organizational survey for a then/now look at the data.
• Looking for new ideas to help your club move forward into 2024? Some Superstar clubs that already have solutions for the new year will join us for the January Zoom Connect, New Year, New Ideas. Meet with them and members from other clubs on Wed., January 10, at 7:30 p.m., CST to discuss how your club can soar in 2024. All members are welcome. Sign up to join in the fun and discussion at: https://multiplesofamerica.org/zoom-connects/ Special note: Starting in January, we are offering a special opportunity for clubs who have more than one member in attendance at a Zoom Connect. The club’s name will be placed in a drawing for a prize!
• Members of the Invite2Connect Special Committee have been reaching out to hospitals in areas that are not currently served by a local club. They are asking those hospitals to distribute our special Invite2Connect postcards to parents with newborn multiples.
• A reminder that our Executive Office will be closed for the holiday from December 23 – January 2.

Annual Meeting News
Have you heard? Our 2024 convention will be at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky! This will be the first Multiples of America convention in the Bluegrass state and we are excited to come together in the city of the Kentucky Derby, the Louisville Slugger, Muhammad Ali, and so much more. The Brown Hotel is a landmark property, which opened in 1923. Rates are a remarkably low $159 per night for a deluxe room or $179 per night for a luxury room. Rates remain the same for single/double/triple/quadruple occupancy. Access to continental breakfast, afternoon snacks and drinks can be added for an additional fee of $25 per person. A free airport shuttle can be reserved, as available. Self-Parking and Valet Parking are offered at a reduced rate. Check the Brown Hotel website for a peek at the room and facilities. https://www.brownhotel.com/kentucky-luxury-hotel The link for reservations will be posted on social media and our website in January.

Stay Connected and End-of-Year Fundraising
Sending round-the-clock thanks to those who gave to the Stay Connected or end-of-year fundraising. We are all blessed by your gift! Multiples of America raised $2,620 so far, with every dollar of that being matched by an anonymous donor. We are still working to push the total closer to our goal. So if you are considering some end-of-the-year giving, now’s the time! The Stay Connected giving page will be open through the end of December: https://multiplesofamerica.org/stayconnected_fundraiser2023/

Club Connections
The latest issue of Club Connections shares some great insights about mental health, the twin relationship, tips for your club’s National Representative and more. Check it out at: https://multiplesofamerica.org/club_connections/

The Present You Shouldn’t Unwrap
Ever get a suspicious message in your inbox? Some of our volunteers and members have received messages that seem to be from board members asking for a call or making extraordinary requests. And it’s not just our organization, other groups have similar stories. If you receive something like this, suspect that it’s spam. Don’t open it or forward it. Just delete it, and you may want to check in with your carrier to see if they have any advice.

Be sure to add info@multiplesofamerica.org into your account as a safe sender. And do know that although we cannot control spammers, we’re very sorry for the inconvenience. Our Executive Office is continually making adjustments to protect our accounts.

Add On Members
If you have added members to your club since your initial renewal, please let us know so we can add their names and emails to our list. Without that information, those members will not receive email communications sent to all members, such as Multiple Connections and this monthly Special Delivery. To add on members after your initial renewal, go to https://multiplesofamerica.org/add-on/ and follow the step-by-step directions. Questions about that process? Let us know.

Local Clubs Celebrating

Fairfax County MOM (VA) held a December Winter Market Night. Members spent the evening decorating cupcakes, painting holiday pots to donate to a local senior center and enjoying some wine and chocolate pairings.

Permian Basin MOMs (TX) held a 12 days of Christmas fundraising raffle with nightly drawings December 1-12.

Garland Area Mothers of Twins (TX) held a Christmas tea.

York White Rose Mothers of Twins & Triplets (PA) gathered before the holiday season to make evergreen wreaths. 

Watch for This
Our website is growing and changing almost daily. Check out these updated items:
The December Press Release shared information about our toolkit for Expectant Parents of Multiples. Read more here. https://multiplesofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/December-press-release-Toolkits-Other-Resources-FINAL.pdf

Speaking of our Expectant Parent toolkit, we’ve added our updated Club Tips for Supporting MOMs who Breastfeed to the toolkit. Many thanks to Dr. Susan Griffith, Bluegrass Parents of Twins & Multiples (KY), for her help with this update. https://multiplesofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ClubTipsForSupportingBreastfeedingMOMs.pdf   

Send Your Ideas/Share Your Joys and Challenges
I’d love to hear from you. Let me know what questions you have about any of these items or other services provided by Multiples of America. Share some news about your club: its successes or challenges, or about your personal joys or challenges on your parenting journey. Contact me at president@multiplesofamerica.org

Take a Quiz
Heard any good jokes lately? Perhaps you’ve heard the one about the man who was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital after his wife had gone into labor. The nurse walked out and said to the man sitting next to him, “Congratulations sir, you’re the new father of twins!” The man replied, “How about that, I work for the Doublemint Chewing Gum Company.” The man then followed the woman to his wife’s room.

About an hour later, the same nurse entered the waiting room and announced that Mr. Smith’s wife has just had triplets. Mr. Smith stood up and said, “Well, how do you like that, I work for the 3M Company.”

The gentleman that was sitting next to the man then got up and started to leave. When asked why he was leaving, he remarked, “I think I need a breath of fresh air. I work for 7-UP.”

THIS MONTH’S QUIZ IS NOW CLOSED!