Blair MomCo sale marks 25 years of helping moms, and each other

Published 2:22 pm Monday, October 5, 2026

Blair MomCo, formerly MOPS, marked the 25th anniversary of its consignment sale this fall, moving the three-day event to Living Hope Assembly of God in Blair after losing its usual site, a family farm, on short notice.

“We were supposed to be somewhere else and we got a call on Sunday morning before church even started saying that our normal location wasn’t gonna work out,” said Elizabeth Cox, the group’s co-coordinator. “So this church has been really gracious.”

Leaders will decide whether to stay or find another indoor site for future sales, held each fall and spring.

Consignors keep 65% of their sales. “It helps them clear out the clutter. It helps people who can’t afford it get real cheap stuff, real nice quality stuff,” Cox said.

The group’s share, plus unclaimed items donated and sold at later sales, pays for speakers, crafts and childcare. MomCo membership usually costs about $300, depending on the group. Blair’s, which offers childcare, is “significantly cheaper because of this sale,” Cox said. About 60 moms are registered, and about 60 consignors took part. Donations can be made by check to Blair MomCo.

MOPS, short for Mothers of Preschoolers, began in the 1970s and went international in the 1980s. It became MomCo, for mom community, partly because members asked whether they had to leave once their children outgrew preschool. The Blair group dates to the 1990s. Members range from expecting moms to moms of high schoolers, while older moms and grandmothers serve as mentor moms.

“Parenting in general is really hard. You start to lose your mind. You’re repeating yourself all the time. You can’t keep up with things. You feel like you’re failing, you’re not doing enough,” said Cox, 31. “And so we just meet together and we encourage each other, and we share the love of Jesus by doing that.”

As for repeating yourself: “‘Don’t do that. You’re gonna get hurt. Eat your food.’ Like, I’m just trying to keep you alive,” she said.

The group is Christian, but meetings aren’t sermons. “We just like to reference things from the Bible, pray for each other,” Cox said. “We have single mamas, we have non-believers, we have Mormons.”

Day and night groups meet twice a month at Reach. The day group runs the sale; the night group holds a Bunco fundraiser. Newcomers are greeted at the door, checked in and given name tags, and volunteers walk their children to childcare.

Moms from Blair, Logan, Omaha and as far as Lincoln sit at tables of six to 10, each with a mentor mom. Meetings include a brunch the tables take turns bringing, discussion questions and a talk, devotional or MomCo video. Speakers have covered financial planning, such as why parents need a will, and decluttering. Members also meet for park trips and other outings.

“You’re not just part of the numbers in the crowd, you know?” Cox said. Mentor moms, she said, “just be like, ‘It’s OK. God’s gonna work it out. Just be patient.'”

Cox, whose mother was in MOPS in eastern Iowa, homeschools her children, ages 6, 3 and 7 months. She has been involved for five years but took last year off while pregnant. “I need to find my new rhythm. I don’t wanna be overwhelmed,” she said. “I’m co-coordinator, so it’s a big role to just jump back into, but it’s fine.”

She said moms have told her they thought they were the only ones struggling. “I feel the most growth with this group spiritually. As a mom, it’s just nice to feel seen and heard, like I’m not crazy for wanting to pull my hair out at this instant,” Cox said. “Sometimes you just lose your mind because milk spilled and it was an accident.”

The group has even held pajama days. “You don’t have to wear makeup. You don’t have to be all put together. Just show up and you can cry. … We all get it,” she said.

This year’s theme, “Good Company,” celebrates 1990s-style friendship: slowing down, handwritten notes, phone calls and showing up on each other’s doorsteps.

“It’s OK to be an inconvenience. Sometimes those are the best moments, right?” Cox said.

Upcoming outings include Harvest Moon Pumpkin Patch in October, a Friendsgiving in November and a pajama morning in December. For details, search for Blair MomCo online or on Facebook.