In honor of Mother’s Day, John, I’m emailing to ask you to please make a donation to support Off the Sidelines — my organization that is dedicated to electing more women to public office and ensuring their voices are heard in the halls of Congress. But before I do that, I want to tell you a little bit more about two women who made me the person I am today: my mother and grandmother.

Back when I was growing up in Albany, New York, it was still uncommon for a mother to have a career of her own. But my mom was a lawyer — one of just three women in her law school's graduating class. And my grandmother, Polly, was a political powerhouse in her own right, fiercely committed to Democratic campaigning and organizing in the state capital.

My mom at her graduation

My grandma Polly and me

These strong, independent women raised me to believe in myself, to be bold and to always fight for my community.

So today, on Mother's Day, I am holding my mother, my grandmother and all the wonderful moms in my life in my heart. But I am also thinking about how much we still need to do — how much progress still needs to be made — for moms and families.

We must protect and restore reproductive rights nationwide — so that women have the power to decide when we have children, under what circumstances we are having children, and how many children we have. We must pass national paid family and medical leave and ensure families have access to quality, affordable childcare. We must create a country where our voices and our perspectives are truly represented in our government.

That's where Off the Sidelines comes in: We’re providing game-changing female candidates with the financial support they need to run for office — and win. I never would have been elected without the networks of women and grassroots donors who supported me throughout my first campaign. And in an election year with more at stake than ever before, I'm proud that Off the Sidelines will be there for women with the support they need, in the moments they need it most.

So please, in honor of Mother's Day, I'm personally asking you: Will you please make a donation to Off the Sidelines to help elect more women up and down the ballot this November? Your support will go a long way toward ensuring that our voices — the voices of mothers — are heard in the halls of government.

Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy Mother's Day,

Kirsten Gillibrand