A little help can go a long way
It's hard for all of us to ask for help when we need it, and sometimes it's hard for us to even know what specific thing to ask for when we feel like we're drowning. That can be even harder as a single mom with additional challenges and barriers that maybe you or I don't have.
Many people are unaware of how many single moms live in our Fargo-Moorhead community, and how many of those parents are living in poverty. About half of single moms live under the median income, as compared to 8% of married, two-parent households and they are disproportionately women of color. Many moms face the stereotype that they have made some poor choices that put them in this situation. But, people are single parents for all kinds of reasons and come from all different backgrounds and our prejudice creates additional struggles for them.
One of the things that I love about my job at Jeremiah Program Fargo Moorhead is being inspired by our moms and our kids every day. They are working hard to achieve their goals, and it is really inspiring to see the incredible love that our moms have for their kids. As a nonprofit, we work to disrupt the cycle of poverty for single moms and their children two generations at a time, specifically through education. We come alongside moms to support them on their journey for a career-track education, and by providing high-quality Pre-Kindergarten education for their kids in our Child Development Center.
However, we don’t have to be in nonprofit to make a difference for single parents in our own lives. People don't always realize how easy it can be to reach out with a simple gesture of support to the single mom that is our neighbor or goes to our church, and doing so can be a huge encouragement.
Our community is so incredibly caring and generous with their resources. Being conscious of the single parents in our lives who might be in need of some help, perhaps with transportation or childcare, can seem insignificant but make a big difference. Children require a lot of flexibility - kids get sick, have doctor's appointments, and have needs that constantly require accommodation. As an individual, providing a couple hours of backup childcare for a mom to go to an appointment, or as an employer, providing a little extra flexibility to leave for an hour during the day for pickups or appointments can have a huge impact in relieving some stress in that mom’s life.
By reaching out to someone in your life with a specific offer to run to the grocery store for them, offer maintenance or housework, shovel their driveway, do some lawn care – just providing that additional support that sometimes it might be hard for them to be able to do – you’ll see how that can light up their day and really bring them some encouragement.
Many supporters of Jeremiah Program realize that when they are helping our moms and our kiddos who are at that greatest risk of living in poverty, they understand that they're helping our entire community. What most single moms want more than anything is what all of us want for our kids – a better life than what we had – a loving and supportive environment where their kids feel safe, receive a quality education, and are able to grow to be happy and healthy. When you are helping a single mom, you're really helping her children and her entire family, which, in turn, improves our entire community.
Andrea Williams is the director of development at Jeremiah Program Fargo Moorhead. Prior to joining JP, Andrea worked in community relations, fundraising, and donor relations. She is a 2006 graduate of Concordia College. She served on the YWCA Board of Directors for 6 years, including as President in 2018. She currently serves as Vice President of the board of the Long Spur Prairie Fund. She has also volunteered with the leadership team for Relay for Life of Clay County since 2016. She lives in Moorhead with her husband, Ben, 5 year-old daughter, Kate, and 4 year-old son, Broderick. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, including their Black Lab, Golden Retriever, 2 cats, and 5 nieces and nephews. She is an avid outdoorswoman and her hobbies include hunting, fishing, gardening, downhill skiing, yoga, and traveling.
Thank you to the Jeremiah Program Fargo Moorhead for collaborating with us to create some easy to use ideas for how to help the single parents in our lives. Our final podcast focusing on Single Moms will air Friday, May 12th on Prairie Public’s Main Street program 3pm and 7pm on 91.9 FM. Please join us!
May’s featured art:
Crystal Thorson’s “Heartifacts” was inspired by her time as a teacher and the importance of actively teaching kindness.