Granger resident and Elkhart native Amy Clark writes about all things motherhood -- giveaways, recipes and child-rearing tips -- on momadvice.com, a Web site that attracts up to 160,000 visitors per month.

As a result, Clark was named No. 8 on Immediateinfluenceblog.com's list of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Social Media. She's using her Web clout to create a tech-driven fundraising project for Faith Mission of Elkhart called the "Big Give."

Why?

An Oct. 11 New York Times article featuring Elkhart's economic problems "stirred something within me," Clark said, "that I really needed to focus on doing something for the community."

On Monday, she started gathering contacts she'd made since launching momadvice.com in 2004. She posted a "donate" button and a participant form on her site. And she used her twitter.com/momadvice account to get the word out.

Clark's site saw an extra 2,000 hits that day.

"It just kind of went viral," Clark said. "Everyone else just started posting that they wanted to do something. It's such a quicker way of (fundraising)."

Clark just laid out plans with Faith Mission development director Mike Perez on Wednesday so it's too early to tell how much momadvice.com will raise to make "welcome kits" stocked with toiletries for new Faith Mission residents -- she's received $200 in donations since Monday. That includes money put forth on behalf of her own family, including her Web designer husband, Ryan, and two children (her reason for creating momadvice, of course).

While a tech-friendly fundraising project is unfamiliar territory for Faith Mission, Perez said the organization is "blessed" to be involved.

"She is the fist one that's ever approached us with it," Perez said of the Web factor. "Some of it's kind of new for us, but it's a good thing, also."

Comments on momadvice indicate that site visitors are ready for action.

Now, Clark said, she hopes local businesses will get involved. She's offering free advertising in January to businesses that start organizing donation efforts.

"We kind of want to make people aware that this is still an important thing," Clark said, "even if we've all had difficult financial times right now."

For more information about momadvice.com's "Big Give" visit http://www.momadvice.com/blog/2008/10/momadvice-big-give-faith-mission-of.htm.