Assistance for single mothers is available from a few sources. Numerous government initiatives and private financial aid programs provide support in four primary categories scholarships, loans, and government (welfare) programs. These cover food, housing, education and other basic needs.
The aim of most programs as time passes is to capacitate; instead of create dependency on welfare. As a result, emphasis is being place on assistance for single mothers in the form of education grants and scholarships.
A good example of a support organisation in the non profit sectors is the Soroptomist, a great resource for scholarships and assistance for single moms. The name itself stands for “best for women,” which reflects the organisation’s ideals, women who have succeeded setting out to inspire others to walk in their footsteps. This international organization for business and professionals strives to improve the lives of women and girls in local and global communities.
NGO support for single mothers
Soroptimist members belong to local clubs, which determine the focus of volunteer within their communities. Club projects range from assistance for single mothers in the form of renovating domestic violence shelters and providing mammograms to low-income women. They also sponsor self-esteem workshops for teenage girls and Soroptimists participate in organization-wide programs including the organisation’s Women’s Opportunity Awards, Soroptimist Club Grants for Women and Girls, Workplace Campaign to End Domestic Violence and the Soroptimist Ruby Award: For Women Helping Women. Clubs also participate in the Live Your Dream campaign, which encourages all women to strive for their goals, while helping others do the same.
Assistance for single mothers by way of the Soroptomists’s clubs is lead by members who aim to improve the status of women and girls via projects and programs, which aid women economically and empowers them to make positive changes in their lives and their communities. Project Single Moms also falls under this category, striving toward the following aims;
The Project Single Moms movement itself is driven by working single mothers who volunteer their time and talents to lead the movement. Assistance for single mothers is optimised through the requirement that all members of Project Single Mom become engaged in a leadership capacity serving as Local Coordinators, Regional Coordinators, National Coordinators, Membership Committee Chairs or Membership Committee members.
In December 2006 the pioneering non profit, CoAbode, was launched to network and connect providing assistance for single mothers via the pooling of resources and funds to empower them with support. CoAbode was founded by a single mother with firsthand experience on the principle that ‘two can do better than one alone’. Safe, secure Living arrangements and financial support is essential. In today’s society communities who live together as families are few and far between. These need to be reinvented and CoAbode aims to provide such assistance for single mothers.
Since the site’s launch five years ago it has expanded to matching single moms across America. According to its founder, Carmel Sullivan; “Single moms stagger under the burden of providing for young children without proper financial support from family or social services, the very people who could most benefit from a stable emotional support system often go home with their children to an empty house or apartment.”
CoAbode’s assistance plan includes compatible partners in any state to share rent, utilities and food, chores and babysitting. The way it works is that members choose housing partners by reading other women’s profiles and contacting prospective housemates that appeal to them through the sites secure and anonymous e-mail system. The criteria used to determine compatibility include
- age;
- location;
- number of children; and
- ability to meet financial requirements like deposits, monthly rent and utility bills.
There is also an all-important “Circle of Friends” page providing assistance for single mothers in the form of local support groups for babysitting co-ops, carpooling, childcare and emotional support.
Grant assistance for single mothers
If you have entrepreneurial leanings and are looking to start a business the government business website is a good place to launch your search. There are endless scholarship and grant opportunities online, depending in which area of study you have – or are planning on pursuing a career. The 10 K scholarship is most popular; a free online sign up to enter a sweepstake giveaway worth $10,000 for single parents to pursue their education.
Additional assistance for single mothers can be sourced at PlanningFamily.com where a membership will earn you everything from free baby necessities, grocery coupons, newsletters and parenting articles to winning free supplies such as diapers for a year.
A few unconventional areas include options such as; Do You Have a CuteKid? where you submit photo of your child for a chance to win 25k . You can also complete a brief online survey and stand a chance to win a $3500 shopping spree. Other surveys’ afford you a $1500 free gas card or $3500 dollar nursery makeover. Make sure you are careful of what information you enter, do not give out personal details, which could risk your financial status in any way whatsoever.
Websites to visit to apply for grants include:
Be careful of the Obama Grant, there is no such thing. Sometimes scams like this are tied to the Federal Pell grant which is legitimate. Ensure that you are not mislead by supposed grants while seeking assistance for single mothers. A simple search online will offer numerous guidelines which will allow you to sort the legitimate from illegitimate grants. If any of them ask you for money, this is a sure sign of a scam, call them and go see them, do due diligence to ensure that you are applying for something of validity.
Many traditional scholarships reward academic excellence so its best to educate yourself as to how best to apply. There are many web tutorials on the subject and books on how to write a scholarship application. Acquiring one of these books can put you ahead of the pack. Assistance for single mothers by way of education grants is a good source of capacity building, so ensure you apply for as many as possible and do not pin your hopes on just one.
Food and medical assistance for single mothers
Government food stamp programs are easily accessible and by reaching out to the nearest Department of Human Services office, you can enquire about additional program eligibility. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ( TANF) program offers cash funds to families who meet the criteria. In exchange, the recipient is required to work for 30 hours per week. There are also food banks who donate food to people in financial need.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a government insurance initiative for US children tailored to parents who are not able to pay for their children’s medical requirements. The MedicAid is also designed to assist with these needs.
The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) government program provides assistance for single mothers in the form of free coupons which can be traded in for basic necessities required by mothers at the most vulnerable stages of child rearing.
Charities providing assistance for single mothers include:
- Catholic Charities USA
- Salvation Army USA
- The Nurturing Network (Pregnancy Assistance)
- Angel Food Ministries (purchase foods for discounted price if you are in financial need)
Working from home is also an option for supplementing income, you can write content for articles and become a freelancer; or consider Work At Home Programs which run paid surveys and online businesses. The Paid Surveys program is one of few that isn’t a scam. Internet Marketing is another option, if you do your homework, assistance for single mothers is available under various guises, just make sure you protect yourself with due diligence on your journey toward self realisation.