Mansfield mothers Abby Rinzel and Allison Keng want no mom to feel alone.
That feeling inspired the duo to start Mansfield Mom Walk in late 2024, a simple neighborhood meetup that’s evolved into a nonprofit designed to help mothers find connection.
Through weekly walks, playdates and volunteer-led programs, Mansfield Mom Walk aims to create what its founders describe as a modern-day village for navigating the early stages of motherhood together.
Their work to build community for mothers earned them recognition in 52 Faces of Community, the Fort Worth Report’s weekly series spotlighting unsung heroes in Tarrant County.
For many mothers in the group, that brief interaction during a walk can shift the emotional weight of the day, Keng said.
“I didn’t know any other person who was a stay-at-home mom like me,” she said. “Abby had posted randomly in a Facebook group, and said, ‘Come to this event.’”
Rinzel did not set out to build an organization. She invited a handful of mothers from her neighborhood to join her for a short walk that ended at a playground. About six women attended that first gathering.
The group met weekly, walking for about 15 minutes before letting their children play. Accessibility was key for Rinzel as she organized the gatherings. New moms already have too much on their plate, so she just wanted them to show up, she said.
For many participants, the barrier is not willingness but isolation and the mental toll of early motherhood, the group’s founders said. Their own experiences in struggling with such emotions postpartum shaped the gatherings, they said.
“Even at 10 months in, I can absolutely say that my motherhood experience wouldn’t be the same without Mansfield Mom Walk.”
Fashionette Kennard, a first-time mom who attends Mansfield Mom Walk events
“When you’re depressed, you think of any reason why you can’t get out,” Rinzel said.
So they designed the walks to be free and informal, structured to lower barriers for mothers who may feel hesitant to attend. Coffee, donuts and short walking routes were early strategies to make simply showing up easier.
Fashionette Kennard, a first-time mom who lives in nearby Venus, said attending the gatherings now is ingrained in Kennard’s weekly routine. She sees the walks as the highlight of her week, allowing her to chat with friends and see her daughter play with children her same age.
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“Even at 10 months in, I can absolutely say that my motherhood experience wouldn’t be the same without Mansfield Mom Walk,” Kennard said.
Attendance grew steadily with participants joining from beyond the original neighborhood, such as Kennard. Cold weather moved activities indoors to Mansfield’s FieldHouse USA.
Social media posts in local Facebook groups and word-of-mouth invitations draw attendees from across Mansfield and neighboring cities.
That’s how Keng discovered the group at one of the first meetings in late 2024. She found herself searching for connection after leaving her job as a teacher to stay home with her two children.
“I’m going to put myself out there, and I’m going to go,” Keng remembers telling herself. “I had told everyone in my family, ‘I’m going to go. I’m really nervous, but I’m going to do it.’”
Mansfield Mom Walk provides free snacks and beverages at its events. (Courtesy photo | Mansfield Mom Walk)
Through that first walk, Keng found not only connection but a strong bond and a path forward with Mansfield Mom Walk.
“This is what I’m supposed to be doing,” Keng said.
As the number of attendees grew from dozens into hundreds, the founders formalized the effort into a nonprofit, later expanding programming and recruiting volunteers. The nonprofit now funds group therapy sessions for a small number of participants and offers a “Mommy Matchmaker” program that pairs mothers with similar interests.
“It just makes me feel like I belong to this space. It’s catered to moms, to you,” Kennard said. “To find a community later in life, we’re all in the same stage as you, it’s pretty special.”
Despite the growth, both founders said the mission remains rooted in the small moments: introductions made, phone numbers exchanged and friendships formed.
“The fundamentals are the same,” Keng said. “To get moms together and talking and making friends with each other.”
Joseph Morgan is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at joseph.morgan@fortworthreport.org.
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