Mission

Our mission is to educate and empower our young children to give back to our community through volunteer activities with their caregivers.

Vision

Our vision is to nurture our children into becoming dynamic and benevolent citizens within our community (the greater Milwaukee area).

All Hands on Deck

We are a friendly group of families who come from all over the Milwaukee area (from the Westside to the North Shore). Some of our parents work part-time, some work from home, and many of us are "stay-at-home" moms. TOAM families are native Wisconsinites and some are transplants from Canada, New York, Illinois, Missouri, California and other great places, but all care greatly for our Milwaukee community. We welcome grandparents, dads and nannies who want to join us. We would love for you to become a part of our growing group.

How It All Began

"So, what's our next adventure?"

As new stay-at-home moms, we found ourselves asking each other this question at a library class with our one year old daughters. Our discussions led us to discover a shared passion for fostering a desire to volunteer and give back to our community within our families and friends. In October 2014, we launched our first mission as ten parents and thirteen children ventured to St. John's on the Lake to spread cheer to the residents with songs and Halloween cookies and crafts.

As former educators, we value the importance of teaching young children to “do unto others as you would have done onto you.” The “golden rule” is one that we believe should be taught by example. There is no better way to do this than to volunteer side-by-side with your child. It is our desire that TOAM will serve as a vessel to support our little ones on the journey of giving back to our community.

Lynn and Jean

Co-founders and Co-directors of Toddlers and Kids on a Mission

Toddlers and Kids on a Mission Board Members

Courtney Arntzen, Advisory Board  Courtney Arntzen joins the TOAM Advisory Board with a passion for early childhood learning and education. This is Courtney's ninth year in education and second year as an elementary school principal. She looks forward to the meaningful work of the TOAM organization.

Nicole Buerosse, Artistic Director Nicole is overjoyed to be part of TOAM. She holds a BFA and for the past 9 years has created and taught art in public schools and privately through her business, Carrissima Designs. Nicole is passionate about art and fostering creativity in children. She resides in Whitefish Bay with her husband and three children, ages 11, 6, and 2. 

Bryna Goeckner, Treasurer Bryna is so excited about being involved with TOAM because of the enormous potential for doing good and influencing young minds. She has two kids (a preschooler and a second grader) and teaches high school science part-time.

Kristen Holland, Advisory Board

Jean Heffernan, Co-Director and Co-Founder Jean has two children (5 and 3) and is a recent transplant to Milwaukee. She is a proud native of Joliet, Illinois where she worked as an elementary educator.  

Andrea Kallay, Outreach Director Andrea is a stay at home mom to four daughters (Alison - 11, Natalie- 6, Julia- 2 and Anna - 8 months). In her free time, Andrea enjoys cooking and baking, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. Andrea previously worked in the mortgage insurance and mortgage banking industries.

Annie Monahan, Advisory Board

Lynn Raines, Co-Director and Co-Founder Lynn served as an educator for children and adults through her work as a teacher and administrator in elementary education for eighteen years. Currently, she is an educator of two-Mia Grace (3 years) and Annie James Shiloh (born August 2015). TOAM is a "dream come true"- giving back to the metro Milwaukee community side-by-side with her daughters, friends, and new connections.

Seth Raymond, Advisory Board Seth is an Episcopal priest, serving at Christ Church Episcopal in Whitefish Bay.  He is also a father of two little ones.  Being with the vulnerable on the margins of society is Good News, and TOAM gets it!  Seth is honored to serve on the advisory board with a particular focus of helping connect TOAM with faith communities. 

Kathleen Roling, Secretary Kathleen has been a resident of Whitefish Bay, along with her husband Josh and son Thomas, for 3 years. She graduated from Marquette University and worked in the financial and legal sector. Now she is fully engaged as a stay-at-mom. She enjoys the small town feel of WFB and is looking forward to the next year of TOAM events.

Angela Martello Stowe, Environmental Missions Director Angela has recently returned to the Milwaukee area with her family.  A geologist, she spends her time as a mom to her 3 year old daughter and an environmental consultant.  She is so excited to help our kids and the community reconnect with the natural environment.

Aimee Welsh, Advisory Board Aimee lives in Whitefish Bay with her husband and two young boys. In addition to being a busy mother and wife, she is also a Cardiologist with Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin providing care to patients in Milwaukee and Washington Counties. Her areas of expertise include advanced cardiac imaging and preventive cardiology. She is thrilled to be involved with TOAM and looks forward to organizing health related missions emphasizing the importance of healthy lifestyle choices for our children and community members.

Erica Zipp, Advisory Board A PR pro by trade, this now stay-at-home mom is adjusting to life with three kids while trying to give back to the wonderful community her family calls home. Look for Erica in Tosa as she one of our west side members