Soon after East Bay Moms founder Lee Eisman had her son Jordan (both pictured above) in May, 1993, she signed up for a series of hikes for new mothers through the local recreation department. Hiking with their newborns in front- and later backpacks, the new mothers enjoyed sharing stories, exercise and the beautiful East Bay trails.

When the group’s leader took the summer off, several of the moms decided to continue meeting weekly to hike together. The popularity of the informal hiking group got to be a problem for some members, who would have preferred it to remain among established friends. Lee felt strongly that everyone who was interested should be welcome, so the group split in two and East Bay Moms was formed in January, 1995. East Bay Moms continues to welcome all interested parents (including dads) and the activities have expanded to include stroller walks, field trips, music classes, parent education and more!

East Bay Moms publishes a monthly 15-20 page newsletter which all members receive with a membership roster indicating members’ names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail and professions as well as the names and birth dates of their children to facilitate networking. In addition to the current and future activities, the newsletter also includes a monthly recipe and restaurant review as well as informative articles and advertisements.