A bit of news about things happening with Multiples of America. Check out the quiz at the end for your chance to win a gift card!

A Winner!
53 members emailed their answers to the July quiz. A perfect score is not the aim; everyone who joins in the fun is entered into the drawing. This quiz recognized famous people who grew up in families with multiples. Answers to the quiz were:

1. This US President was born in Kentucky in 1744 and grew up in a family with nine children, which included his twin sisters, Hannah and Lydia. Abraham Lincoln
   CORRECTIONS: Abe was born in 1809 (not 1744), and Hannah and Lydia Lincoln are in the Lincoln family tree, but as the daughters of Abe Lincoln’s grandfather. So, Abe has twins in his ancestral line, but he is not a sibling of twins.

2. This actor, who is known for films such as Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ, grew up in a family of 11 children, including a set of twin brothers, Daniel and Christopher. He is also now the father of a set of twin boys, along with seven other children. Mel Gibson

3. There were 5 brothers and 3 sisters in this singer’s family, many of them musical talents. The famous sibling sang alongside his twin sibling, Marlon; sadly, the other twin, Brandon, died shortly after birth. Michael Jackson

4. This US President regularly commented on the importance of family. He grew up in Virginia in a family of ten children, including his fraternal twin siblings, Anne and Randolph. Thomas Jefferson

5. This singer and songwriter grew up in a family with four children, including his younger fraternal twin brothers, Maurice and Robin. He formed a band with his twin siblings, bringing “Too Much Heaven” to worldwide audiences over several decades. Barry Gibb

Winner of the gift card drawing is Nicole Kassebaum, Livingston Area Parents of Multiples (MI). Find the August quiz at the end of this email.

A Big Thanks
Congrats to our new Board of Directors! You can read about them and a summary of our 2025 convention in the August press release.

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

• We’re excited to announce we have been awarded funding from the Prolacta Bioscience Foundation to expand the Great Expectations seminar series during the 2025-2026 term! Be on the lookout for more news about the grant and plans for Great Expectations Multiplied! Our thanks go out to the Prolacta Bioscience Foundation for their support!
• The recipient of the EDGE endowment grant was announced at our annual convention. Multiples of the Midlands (SC) is the recipient of $500 for their project focused on member recruitment. The EDGE Committee said it was difficult determining a winner since there were five entries, each stellar in their own way. Thanks to all the clubs who entered, and congrats to Multiples of the Midlands!
• The annual report is now on the website, complete with audio narration! Member clubs can contact our advisor, Terri Gillis, at advisor@multiplesofamerica.org if you would like to have a board member present the report over Zoom to your members.
• The new option for direct membership is now available online. This membership tier is for parents of multiples who do not live near a local parents of multiples club. If you know of parents or expectant parents who live beyond the reach of a member club, please encourage them to click onto our website to find out how they can join.

The Multiple Bond – September Zoom Connect
Multiples navigate a delicate balance between their shared bond and their individual paths throughout their lives. We’ll explore that bond during our September Zoom Connect, “Multiples and Identity Development through the Lifespan.” Dr. Joan Friedman, twin expert, author, an identical twin and the mother of five, including fraternal twin sons, will explore the joys and challenges of the multiple bond and share tips for ways you can help your multiples make the most of this unique relationship. Join us Wed., Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. Central (8:30 p.m. Eastern, 6:30 p.m. Mountain, 5:30 pm Pacific). Register using the link on our homepage.

The Day Has Arrived! – Great Expectations Multiplied
Are you a parent expecting twins or triplets?
Do you want to know more about supporting your babies if they need to be in the NICU?
Are you wondering about how you will have the energy to care for your babies?

Join us for The Day Has Arrived! Expecting Multiples, the Birth Partner’s Role, NICU Stay, Recovery from Birth, and Heading Home, our first in this year’s series of Great Expectations online seminars.

Twin Specialist Smadar Zmirin will lead the seminar. Smadar is based in New Zealand and works with parents worldwide. She has a diploma in early childhood education, is a postpartum doula, infant massage instructor, and sleep consultant.

Club leaders are also welcome to attend as a way of gathering information to share with expectant parents or parents with newborn multiples.

We’ll meet via Zoom on Monday, Sept. 15, 7:30 p.m. Central (8:30 p.m. Eastern, 6:30 p.m. Mountain, 5:30 p.m. Pacific). If the date or time won’t work into your schedule, you can sign up to view a recording of the seminar up to seven days following the event. Learn more and register online in the Members Only Center.

Can you share your MULTItales?                            What’s your MultiTale? Everyone has a unique story to tell, and our multiples community is filled with wonderful stories. There are funny stories, exciting stories, inspiring and challenging stories: stories about the joys and challenges of parenting multiples, stories about the support of a club, stories about how our lives have been touched and changed because of the connections with parents of multiples near and far. Your stories are a powerful way to spotlight the experience of parenting multiples, to offer hope and inspiration to those now on a similar journey, and to help in promoting our organization. Share your story at www.multiplesofamerica.org/multitale.

Join Our Leadership Academy
Our Leadership Academy is an opportunity for members to build skills and connections that can help in guiding local, state, or national organizations, or in other work or volunteer pursuits. Academy participants will join in virtual learning experiences, a book study, and discussions and sharing about club management. There’s even a special graduation ceremony! There’s no fee for Academy participants, but space is limited. Please consider stepping into this year’s Academy! Applications are due by November 1. Find out more at www.multiplesofamerica.org/leadershipacademy.

Club Helpline
What’s one way you can pass It on? Check out the August issue of Club Helpline for the answer. There’s also information about how you can volunteer or join in upcoming events. Look for the issue in the Members Only section at https://multiplesofamerica.org/club_connections/.

Find Your Multiple Match
Our Multiple Match program provides a personal connection for members in an electronic format. Sign up and we’ll work to match you with another member facing similar parenting or life challenges. We’re also looking to match up leaders from similar sized clubs. Either way, it’s a match that can create a connection for support or friendship.

Right now, we are especially looking for matches for members who have:

• Preschool multiples with older siblings
• Multiples with Goldenhar Syndrome
• Multiples with Nemaline Myopathy
• Multiples who are autistic
• Multiples with ADHD
• Multiples who spent time in the NICU
• Elementary aged multiples
• Special needs multiples

And members who are:

• Raising young multiples while caring for elderly parents
• Single moms of multiples who used an anonymous donor
• Looking for a connection due to living in an area that is hours away from their local club

Join in Multiple Match at https://multiplesofamerica.org/multiplematch/. (Note: The Members Only password will be needed to access this form.)

International Webinars – A New Benefit for Our Members
The International Council of Multiple Birth Organizations (ICOMBO) is launching a series of webinars, as a benefit of being an ICOMBO member. Since Multiples of America maintains membership in ICOMBO, any member of our organization will be able to join in the seminars!

The first webinar will focus on on Vanishing Twin Syndrome (VTS) and will be presented by Dr Nichole Cubbage, an ICOMBO board member who has expertise in this area, including recently completing her PhD on the topic. The seminar will cover definition, diagnosis and misunderstandings about VTS.  

The Vanishing Twin webinar be Monday, Sept. 22 2025, 7 p.m. Melbourne, Australia time (5 a.m. Eastern, 4 a.m. Central, 3 p.m. Mountain, 2 a.m. Pacific).  Since viewing times can be challenging with an international event, if you are not able to watch live, ICOMBO will provide a recording for viewing on demand. 

Click into the flyer at the end of this message for a QR code and a website link to access the webinar via Google Meet. 

Will This Be Your Last Issue of Special Delivery?
Has your club sent in membership dues? The countdown is on. Club renewals are due in August and delinquent after September 30, so if your club hasn’t yet renewed your membership, you’ll soon stop receiving communications like Special Delivery and Multiple Connections. The good news is we’ve streamlined the renewal process! So if your club hasn’t yet renewed, membership for the new term can be confirmed using a quick and easy online form. Just fill in the blanks, upload your club membership list, make a payment, and “click.” Start by going to  https://multiplesofamerica.org/RENEW/.

Want to know more about how each department of Multiples of America is ready to serve you and your club each day of the year? Check out the Department Presentation flipbook to find out more.

Now Is the Time
It’s time now to start preparing your club’s group exemption filing for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2025. Go to www.multiplesofamerica.org/groupexemption, download your forms and submit them online. All clubs submitting after November 1 will incur a $30 late fee.

Thanks to Convention Donors
A shout of thanks to Mountain States Mothers of Adult Multiples (AZ) and Phoenix Valley Mothers of Multiples (AZ) who helped by hosting an event at convention. An added thanks to all the members who donated to swag bags and raffles or sent in crafts, paintings, jewelry and more for the Timeless Treasures silent auction. And thanks to all who joined in the convention raffles and auction. Thanks to all of you we raised $4,378! We are so grateful to each of you for helping us as we were Two Steppin’ 2 Tucson.

It’s Not too Late to Volunteer
We’re still looking for YOU! Multiples of America runs on the talent, passion, and expertise of volunteers. We’ve got positions to match a wide array of interests, skill levels and time commitments. We’re especially in need of volunteers who have interest in serving in the area of social media, marketing, or publications. Volunteer to be a part of our team! Our new term started in August, but there’s still time to complete the form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BZHNWGH.
(Note: The Members Only password will be needed to access this form.) 

Local Clubs Stepping into Fall
Phoenix Valley MOMs (AZ) will be meeting at Best Sports for their Fall Family Kick-off.

Permian Basin MOMs (TX) played Bunco, complete with prizes, as a part of their August meeting.

South Florida MOMs (FL) celebrated their 30^th anniversary along with installation in July.

Website Spotlight
Our website changes almost daily. Check out these updated items:

Our organization bylaws have been updated to reflect changes approved at our recent annual meeting.

The 2025-26 Member Club/National Worker calendar is now posted in the Members Only section.

The National Representative Checklist has been updated for 2025-2026.

A big shout out to our ELITE member clubs who renewed membership for the new year prior to June 30.

Send Your Ideas/Share Your Joys and Challenges
I’d love to hear from you. Let me if you have questions 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
Our annual report was presented during convention and is now on the website. This month’s quiz shines a spotlight on just a few of the accomplishments shared. (Hint: Only one of the answers is part of the narrated portion of the report on the website; you’ll have to read over the slides for answers to the other four.)

THIS MONTH’S QUIZ IS CLOSED.