Toronto event helps those who have lost their mother face Mother's Day

This Mother's Day, Amanda Katz is inviting the city's motherless masses to unite. The founder of Motherless Day, she's created a pity party for those navigating Mother's Day through the veil of loss.

"I lost my mom to mental health in 2017, back when I was 21," explains Katz. "As with any loss, the tough days come and go. … But one thing that anyone without a mom feels is that Mother's Day sucks.

"Those flower bouquets and gifts-for-mom ideas that are in every window, that typically are met with such a wave of joy, instead for us they're a reminder of what and who is missing."

In 2023, "after spending six years navigating that day along with my sister," Katz decided to flip the Mother's Day script.

"I figured, why not reframe the day? Why not create the chance and the space to celebrate and commemorate the moms who would have still wanted us to celebrate, surrounded by those people who get it?"

Held in support of CAMH, last year's inaugural Motherless Day event raised $15,000 and saw dozens of guests honouring their late mothers with crafts, lunch, laughter and tears at Paris Paris restaurant.

Taking place on May 11^th, this year's event has relocated. "We're bringing the waterworks to Waterworks [Food Hall]," quips Katz. Co-founder Nikki Lewis, a "fellow motherless daughter," will be hosting a parallel event in Vancouver on the same day.

Imbued with a similar type of energy as last year, Motherless Day 2025 will involve plenty of meaningful activities centred around commemorating and celebrating mom.

"Everything is done with the intention of creating something in memory of your mom, inspired by your mom," explains Katz, including collaging, journaling, flower pressing and card writing.

This years partners include Ars Poetica, Daniela Rose Jewelry, and guest speaker Wendy Litner, writer of Crave's My Dead Mom.

"We want to bring a bit of lightness, even humour and laughter to something that's typically a really challenging thing to go through," adds Katz. "It's really a chance to come together with people who understand, and do things that hold meaning and pay tribute to our moms in a way that's different and fun."

Tickets also include snacks from Bad Attitude Bread, Ripe Nutrition and more, along with wine from Grape Witches, caffeine from Found Coffee, and energizing sips from Barbet and The Hut Smoothie & Juice Bar.

An idea that has blossomed beyond Motherless Day, Katz's community has recently grown to include those affected by the loss of their fathers.

"People without dads said, 'I resonate with this in a different way. I'd love to have a bit of a community around that,'" she explains.

Through The Parentless Club, the team has created "a support system for people who have lost a parent and also a place for people outside of the community who have a friend or loved one who's experienced the loss of a parent and want to support people in their loss but don’t know how."

Though no Father's Day gathering is planned for this year, The Parentless Club is "an evolving community," says Katz. Currently online, the hope is to eventually expand the group's reach with in-person events.

Tickets to Motherless Day can be purchased on Eventbrite. To help Motherless Day reach its 2025 fundraising goal, donations can also be made directly to CAMH.