With the son of a single mother now the President of the United States, the conversation about the perils and possibilities of being a single parent is at an all-time high. Several major studies are contributing to that conversation, underscoring a fundamental belief of Jeremiah Program: it?s the educational achievements of the parents and the quality of the home environment that determine how well children do, not necessarily the number of parents in the household.
The success stories of many national figures raised in single parent homes?Barack Obama, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, R&B sensation Alicia Keys?are, at base, no different than the stories of Jeremiah women. Every year we celebrate the graduation of young women whose lives have been transformed from poverty to prosperity through safe and affordable housing, quality early childhood education, life skills training, and support for career-track education. With the proper support and systems in place, we know single mothers and their children can reach their full potential and become contributing members of society.
Through our national initiatives and my participation in the Ascend fellowship program at the Aspen Institute, we are actively advocating for policies and resources that move people out of poverty through education and employment. In sum, we are working to change the narrative on single mothers.
As Michelle Weldon, an author and an assistant professor of journalism at the Medill School, Northwestern University, recently wrote, it?s time for our culture to ?stop assigning blame and start offering help? for single mothers and their children whose lives are full of potential and promise.
Gloria Perez, Jeremiah Program President & CEO
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Hope Adams Propels Successful Life Skills Course
From the moment Hope Adams learned about Jeremiah Program, she immediately began to look for ways to empower local single mothers.
?I was completely able to relate to the challenge of getting an education while taking care of small children,? says Hope, a mother of two living in Fargo. ?I wasn?t a single mom but I was a teen mom. I know how hard it was to find my way in life and take care of my family.?
Hope agreed to co-chair the Life Skills course with another volunteer, Amanda Volmer. The course is a temporary offering in Fargo-Moorhead while a permanent campus is identified and developed. That site will ultimately provide 20 families with housing, quality early childhood education, and support for life skills training and career-track education.
In her volunteer role, Hope recruited and supported facilitators and meal providers for the Life Skills course and attended each of the ten sessions. She kept participants engaged and held them accountable to their goals.
?Life Skills would not have been possible without Hope?s dedication and passion for helping determined single mothers in our community,? say Andrea Hochhalter, Community Outreach Director in Fargo-Moorhead. ?She was a mentor for single moms who want to build their skills, conquer their fears and find success.?She is an inspiration.?
Hope said it was gratifying to see women in the course grow. ?I saw the change in the participants? thought processes. They gained real skills regarding things like healthy living and financial management, and they started implementing those in their lives. The support Jeremiah brings to these single moms so they can earn their college degree while developing critical life skills is incredible and powerful.?
Shake It Success
The challenge was presented and your leadership made it happen!
First, State Bank & Trust accepted Jeremiah Program?s challenge to match up to $5,000 in contributions if Jeremiah could raise that same amount from individual donors in a set time frame. Then many of you stepped up to the challenge by helping us raise that amount and more within 30 days!
Leading the drive to reach the goal were Dance-Fit co-owners Dani Fergen and Kim Brandt who sponsored a ?Shake-It? fundraising event on June 7. The generosity of The Venue and the participation of 75 women, men and children?including our Life Skills participants whom Dance-Fit has been sponsoring at its studio?made it possible for Jeremiah to reach its $5,000 match goal.
Dance-Fit and Jeremiah Program share the goal of inspiring confidence in people. With Dance-Fit?s support, Jeremiah will continue to help young women gain confidence, find new hope and develop strong supportive relationships with other single mothers. The donations from ?Shake-It? and the State Bank & Trust matching gift, totaling more than $10,000, will go directly toward program start-up in Fargo-Moorhead.
Life Skills Registration is Open
Based upon the success of our first Life Skills class, we are offering the course again this fall and next spring. Jeremiah Program Life Skills served seven single mothers this past spring, teaching and coaching them on skills specific to their needs. Through the support of grants from both the FM Area Foundation and North Dakota State University, the Life Skills Course is being offered and applications are being accepted for fall 2012 and spring 2013 semesters.
Jeremiah Program Life Skills Course benefits determined single mothers with young children who are working to create a brighter future for themselves. These young women often face barriers associated with low income, such as access to safe and affordable housing and quality early education for their children. Jeremiah Program helps these young mothers develop the life skills they need to achieve their dreams of obtaining a college degree and a prosperous career.
Hear here from Katrina, a past Jeremiah Program participant. Access the Life Skills Course descriptor?here?and application here.?For further information, contact Hope Adams.
Volunteer
Dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers are a critically important part of moving the vision for a vibrant Jeremiah Program campus community forward in Fargo-Moorhead. Your commitment of time and talent can help Jeremiah Program transform lives from poverty to prosperity two generations at a time.
There?s a volunteer opportunity for everybody! Click here for a list.?Take the next step and get involved by completing a brief online application?and specify your interest in Fargo-Moorhead. Sign up today and start making a difference in the lives of Jeremiah women and their families.
Did You Know?
Research shows that a mother?s level of education is crucial to her ability to find career-track employment and earn a living wage. It?s also crucial in determining how much education her children will receive, as well as how much money they?ll earn.
Source: http://www.jeremiahprogram.org/2012/07/journeys-fargo-moorhead-summer-2012/
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