Here is one successful business woman who is making a difference for single moms struggling to find a home for their families.

Biker rides to shed light on homelessness
By Stephanie Toone|
Staff Writer, Augusta Chronicle
Friday, April 24, 2009

Bordering a gingerbread house with icing, gummy bears and gum drops was the best time Valencia Logan has had with her children in months.

The Augusta mother and her three children have lived at the Salvation Army's homeless shelter since March. On Thursday evening, Ms. Logan said she was able to forget about her situation and bask in her children's joy over smearing icing all over her clothes.

"This is a great activity. They could go outside or just sit under me, but this is something where I really get to be interactive with them," she said at the shelter Thursday. "This is probably something you would only get to do once or twice in your lifetime."

Trish Karter, the owner of a Boston baking company, Dancing Deer, gave about five mothers the opportunity to enjoy some baked goods and time with their children.

The Boston woman started a bike ride Wednesday in Atlanta that will stretch 1,500 miles over 15 days.

She made a stop in Augusta to distribute her company's Sweet Home gingerbread houses -- 35 percent of the sales of the treats go toward college scholarships for homeless and low-income mothers.

She plans to visit 15 shelters by Mother's Day and spread awareness about homelessness.

"We're trying to get single mothers into permanent homes. The education can help," Ms. Karter said. "I hope I can show that private businesses need to think about more than money. Their success is also measured in what effect they have on a society."

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For me, oil changes happen . . . well, sporadically. I could use some help, for sure, as could many other single mothers. Brian Smith of the Register News Writer in Richmond, KY, reports on a southern church practicing the values it preaches -- by supporting single mothers:

Rain may have dampened the First Baptist Church parking lot Saturday morning, but it couldn’t dampen the spirits of the volunteers who turned out for the church’s second “Single Mom’s Oil Change.” The event provides a free oil change for single mothers, and in drier weather, a car wash as well.

Jeff Prosser, associate pastor at the church, said even if the rain kept turnout low, the event was still a success.

“Even if just one mother shows up, that makes it all worthwhile,” Prosser said.

The church had 70 cars come through for the first event in September, Prosser said, and volunteers were expecting a similar turnout Saturday.

Continue reading . . .

I know I often post about the hypocrisy of some religious organizations. It's nice to catch 'em proving me wrong.

And more colleges don't offer this option because . . . ?

I've taught at a good number of colleges and universities, and I haven't seen any of these type of programs for single mothers. I would love to see more of them, especially here in the south.

The Changing Face of Women's Colleges
By Jessica Calefati
Posted March 11, 2009
US News and World Report

Today, about 20 percent of the student body at St. Mary's is made up of minority women, but what makes this midwestern women's college stand out is the comprehensive support it provides for single mothers seeking a college education. Women in the Mothers Living and Learning program live with their children alongside other single mothers in on-campus dorms, have access to free meals for their children in the college's dining hall, and can enroll their children in day-care services that are within walking distance of the college's campus.

Susan Williams lives in a St. Mary's dorm with two of her children and says the specialized program for single mothers attracted her to a women's college. Before transferring to St. Mary's, Williams attended the University of Missouri. At Mizzou, she lived in off-campus housing with her children but had little access to additional assistance. "At Mizzou, I was basically living on my own, and that didn't work for me. I needed more [emotional and academic] support," says Williams, who is studying to become an occupational therapist. "Women need women's colleges because for some women like me, it's the only way they will see where they can go in life."

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I know that young women who become pregnant while in high school face significant problems -- and getting an education is one of them. We in the south aren't kind to our teenage moms. We tend to want them to disappear from our schools so they don't "corrupt" other young women. We don't provide the support they need to finish high school and raise their children at the same time, but then we blame them for their own poverty. Not really fair, is it? Nor does it make good business sense. World-wide research shows us that if we educate a woman, we improve the life of her family. We need to apply that knowledge when we make decisions about our own young mothers' educations.

When single mothers fail at mothering, it's not because because they are single. They fail because they are poor. Educate a woman, and you give her and her children a better financial future. Kelly White, Director of the Chicago Foundation for Women, says in Obama's Budget Could Do More for Single Moms, "If there's one thing I want to emphasize again, it's that when women are put at the center of solutions to this financial crisis, they rise up, and when women's lives improve, so do their families, communities and the national economy."

Caleb R. Johnson of the Selma Times-Journal reports on a program in Selma, AL, that is providing single moms with a second chance.

Left, Tomessa Blevins and her daughter Leandrea Givan and right Laronica Irby and her son Gabriel. Blevins and Irby participate in the Evenstart Program, a program designed to help single mothers receive a GED.

Left, Tomessa Blevins and her daughter Leandrea Givan and right Laronica Irby and her son Gabriel. Blevins and Irby participate in the Evenstart Program, a program designed to help single mothers receive a GED.

Laronica Irby could not drive a car yet when she quit school. At a tender 15 years old, Irby walked away from the world of blackboards, teachers and books.

Soon, she got pregnant. A high school diploma seemed as distant as the clouds. Diapers, bottles and pacifiers consumed her every waking moment. For two years, she hardly gave her education another thought.

Last summer she heard about a program designed for women like her - women who wanted a second chance.

MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS FOR SINGLE MOMS

As many single moms know, Mother's Day is an awkward day. Usually, it is the dad who takes the young child to get a gift for the mother. For single moms, that sometimes isn't an option.

My daughter and I go shopping together on Mother's Day, and I let her pick out a gift for me. So far, every year, she has gotten me pajamas or a nightgown, which makes me wonder what she thinks of my choices in sleepwear. Anyway, we enjoy our Mother's Day shopping trips, but I have to admit, buying my own gift doesn't quite feel the same.

Here is an organization that is helping single mothers feel appreciated.

Motherhood is a tough job, even under the best of circumstances.

For those women who undertake the task on their own — for whatever reason — Mother's Day can be a melancholy one.

Enter the Plymouth Alliance Church Mothers of Preschoolers group and their annual project to help single moms in the area feel special on their special day.

Every year, the 30 members of the group collect small gifts like personal care items, gift cards, tea, note cards and other items and pack them into decorated gift bags. The bags are delivered to single moms the group members know and those whose names are given to MOPS by area social service agencies.

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A GREAT PLAN TO HELP OUT SINGLE MOMS

UNIVERSITY HELPS SINGLE MOTHERS

I would love to see more programs for single mothers like this one:

The TJX Foundation recently awarded a $5,000 foundation grant to the Misericordia University Women with Children Program.

The grant supports the Women with Children Program Scholarship Assistance Initiative. Misericordia University established the novel program in 2000 to further alleviate socioeconomic barriers to higher education for single mothers.

Misericordia’s program is one of only eight similar programs in the country. It provides economically-disadvantaged single mothers with the opportunity to pursue their degrees while also living on campus at no charge in a designated residence hall with their children. Children enjoy the benefits of free room and board. The subsidized housing includes private bedrooms and common areas where the families share household responsibilities. The students are responsible for their own tuition, with most receiving significant financial aid.

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Finally, someone thinking about how to help some of the people who could really use a bailout. Check it out!

NEWS ON BAILOUT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN
MNSBC.com

SOUTHFIELD, MI - In harmony with President Obama's stimulus package, Choice Credit Group -- a woman-owned firm in the Detroit area -- has launched an exclusive "Bailout For Women" program that helps women reduce or eliminate their financial debt through debt settlement.

On February 18, 2009, President Obama activated a $787 billion economic-stimulus package to help struggling Americans -- one of the biggest economic-rescue efforts in U.S. history. He also established the White House Office of Urban Affairs "to bring long-overdue attention to the urban areas, where 80 percent of the American people live and work."

Obama's plan, designed to help American families, will especially benefit the women in this country. Millions of women are more than $10,000 in debt, are homeowners struggling to pay their monthly mortgage payments, and are single mothers who are not receiving child support. Even worse, more women than ever before are resorting to welfare and other forms of government assistance.

Debt settlement is an honorable option for women who are tired of fighting the losing battle against late fees and interest. Choice Credit Group's "Bailout For Women" program is the first of its kind, and is already helping thousands of women settle and alleviate their debt from major credit cards, medical bills, phone bills, payday loans, and more.

GO TO THIS ARTICLE

PROJECT WORKING WORKING MOM...AND DADS, TOO

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 15 percent of single mothers have a bachelor’s degree. A college degree often generates higher wages, better career opportunities and job security.

But continuing with an education as an adult may be out of reach for many. If you have been considering going back to school but it is not in your budget, there is a program that can help.

The Project Working Mom Campaign is helping busy moms go back to school by offering scholarships to a selection of colleges. The five participating schools are Ashford University, Ashworth College, Capella University, Everest University and Virginia College Online. And this year, the campaign has partnered with the National Center for Fathering, and includes fathers as well. “Project Working Mom…and Dads Too” is available for those who are single, married or have grown children.

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Women Helping Women started out as an agency providing assistance to single women, especially single mothers, who work but still were unable to make ends meet. The agency, based in Somerset, helped pay utility bills and provide food baskets for families in need.

But during the past year, the organization evolved into Women Helping Women With Children.

The change came about because so many single mothers got into situations in which their children were being put into foster care because their families were unable to provide a safe and secure home.

"There are so many out there that need support," said Clayton.

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OWN HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Gabriella Silletti was so excited about her new home she started moving in immediately after signing closing papers.

Where others might see only four walls, Silletti sees a secure future for herself and her three children.

"It's just a stable environment for the kids," she said. "It's just great."

Her children, ages 7, 10 and 14, are settling in easily, she said. "They're trying to just unpack their boxes and organize their rooms, and they wonder how long it's going to smell like a new house."

After renting an apartment for years, Silletti said her children now have a place to ride their bikes. "We've always had an apartment, but you can't tell them to go out in the backyard and play. . .

Since that night when she found out she would receive a Habitat home, she said the work has been near constant, and she's spent every Saturday since construction began helping build her home.

"It's s a tremendous amount of work, and its hard", she said. "You either had to shovel and dig and rake and hammer. I'm scared of heights, and they got me up on the roof three times."

Silletti said that although life as a single mom can be an exercise in adversity, this experience has given her perspective.

I view people and life in a different way, that there really are people out there that are good to their word and can help you.

Continue reading this article . . .

Habitat for Humanity is one of my favorite organizations, homegrown here in the South. I've helped out at different Habitat sites in South Carolina, and I can surely say that this is one program that works for single mothers. The hammer, for a woman, can be a powerful psychological as well as physical tool. I know that when I help build something myself, I feel stronger and more proud. "Look, I did that." And I can see that look on the faces of the single mothers described in this article. And that look can change lives.

PROGRAM PROVIDES CAR LOANS TO SINGLE MOTHERS

Gina Brown, 23, goes to school part time and works full time at Meta House, a residential treatment house for women. Last winter, she said, she was continually late for work because of the bus schedule.

A co-worker told her about Ways to Work, which is operated in Milwaukee through the Social Development Commission. Now she has a 1999 Ford Contour she purchased from a reputable dealer for $3,600. It's in good condition, and not only gets her to work on time but helped her get a promotion and a raise. She's now a family facilitator and parenting assistant because the car allows her to transport clients to medical appointments and help them get their children enrolled in school.

She can also drive her 3-year-old son to Head Start.

"Ways to Work is not the run-of-the-mill handout," she said. "There's lot of stigma for me being lower income and a single mother, but with this you have to work to earn the trust of the board that you will pay them back."

"It makes me feel I am able to do something. Yeah, my credit is bad and yeah, I'm a single mom. But I have a chance."

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For more information on cars for single mothers.

Here is a great example of how we could be using more of the micro-credit programs we fund overseas right here at home -- to help our own moms help themselves by starting home business that build on their unique areas of expertise.

And it's a more cost-efficient bail out than for our auto industry.