FITCHBURG — When Elaine Ivanowski first opened her clothing shop, Mommy & Me, in Athol, she aimed to sell maternity and baby clothes at an affordable price.

Over time, however, Ivanowski has decided to shift her focus and has started Moms in Recovery, a nonprofit in Fitchburg dedicated to supporting struggling mothers and children.

“I have the resources [to support other mothers] and I want to help as much as I can,” Ivanowski said.

Ivanowski opened her shop in downtown Athol in 2016, after the birth of her son. She included a nursery in the storefront so that she could work and care for her child at the same time.

The nursery proved helpful, not just to her, but to other mothers as well. Ivanowski began holding support groups for moms, who, like herself, are in recovery. Women could come to Ivanowski’s store with their children to attend support groups that she led while the children played.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivanowski had to close her shop. Now, after a move to Fitchburg and closing her store, Ivanowski is reopening, this time, as a nonprofit dedicated to supporting mothers and children struggling with issues such as domestic abuse, mental illness and recovery from addiction.

“When I closed my store, I switched it over from a sole proprietorship to a nonprofit because I was doing services from my house in Orange at the time,” Ivanowski explained. “I [felt] like I really need to keep this up. So, I opened an office in Fitchburg.”

Ivanowski is now settling into her new office at 76 Summer St. in Fitchburg. She’s in the process of trying to connecting with local moms in her new city, and trying to find ways of staying in touch with the mothers she served back in Athol.

“We want to support each other,” Ivanowski said. “Having people there is big.”

Those who are interested in connecting with Moms in Recovery can reach out to Ivanowski at elaineaccccc@icloud.com.