Single Moms Can Create a Better Future
Over 10 million single mothers in the United States are parents to 20 million children. One-third of them live in poverty. As a life coach I’ve heard a common story repeated all too often. It goes something like this.
Nancy, (not a real name), an innocent little girl is sexually abused, often by a family member. (1 in 5 girls is a victim of child sexual abuse.) When Nancy tells her mother she doesn’t believe her, her mother accuses her of lying, sweeps the topic under the rug, and refuses to address it again. Nothing is done to protect her. Undefended and betrayed by the very person who should care for her, she loses all sense of security. As she grows her boundaries are non-existent. Sexual abuse damages the child in many ways. One way is it destroys all sense of the right to privacy and personal space. Now Nancy longs for love, positive attention and affection. When she reaches puberty and boys take notice she enjoys the attention. It is the closest thing to love she’s known in her short lifetime. Ultimately she gets pregnant. The boy doesn’t stay to take responsibility. She is a single mother without a marriage license and very often without a high school diploma.
This situation plays out more frequently than you may realize. Of course not all single mothers had the same experience.
All single mothers, whatever their past, need an employable skill. How can she train for a job or attend college without funds to support her family while she is in school?
I have a dream that will solve this problem. A group of people in southeast Texas shares my dream. The Community Coalition has a plan to build Bridges of Hope for Single Moms. We want to assist single mothers across the bridge from dependence to independence.
Bridges of Hope for Single Mother is a two-year program that provides:
- Assistance with affordable housing
- Parenting education
- Life skills development
- Life Coaching and Mentoring
- Money management training
- Individual supportive counseling
- Earning a two-year degree
Other similar programs across the state have proven successful with great results.
There are loads of grants for single mothers on the Internet. However, grants don’t solve the entire issue. Housing, childcare and learning how to manage money and other life skills aren’t provided for with a grant.
Let’s build a Bridge of Hope for Single Mothers in southeast Texas. Please let me know if you would like to partner with us as a team member or a donor.
I’m available to speak to your group about this amazing program.
I raised three children as a single mother before I remarried. I have experienced the potholes, pests, and perils of being the single head-of-household. As an educator in regular and special education for twenty years I know a great deal about child development and how to handle kids. I am the founder of SMORE for Women, a nonprofit whose goal is Single Moms, Overjoyed, Rejuvenated, and Empowered. I am a Certified Professional Coach and my stories have been published in several Christian books and magazines. My book, Living Learning Loving is available on CreateSpace, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble online.
Gail Cawley Showalter 