At a time when we need heroes, we should think of single moms.
My biggest hero is a single mom – my mom! And when I think back on my childhood, it almost feels like magic, all the things she did so I could have the best life we could get. Now I see all the sacrifices, the long hours working and going to school, budgeting in the evenings, cooking and planning fun activities.
It wasn’t easy, but my mom had the support of my grandparents, who were there to take care of me and give us a place to call home. Sometimes it takes a village to make the magic of single moms possible. But many moms in the U.S. don’t have this kind of support and are living in poverty. When this happens, kids go hungry.
And that’s why we at No Kid Hungry are working so single moms have the support they need to ensure their kids have the resources and food to thrive.
We know that when moms do well, their kids do well. Programs like summer meals, school meals and SNAP are essential, but to end childhood hunger once and for all we need to look at the reasons parents are struggling to make ends meet – and we know single moms are struggling the most.
How We Are Supporting Moms Together
It was a room of people from all over the country. Passionate leaders, thinkers, artists, data nerds and storytellers. Earlier this month, No Kid Hungry organized the second Bridge Builders Summit in DC, where we invited over 40 partner organizations who are working for single moms and their kids.
What does this work look like? Our strategy to support single moms aims to break barriers so they can access higher wages. This includes programs that help moms return to school, find stable jobs and even launch businesses. We also work so moms are able to afford food – whether that’s through food pantries, grocery boxes, SNAP or the Child Tax Credit.
These 40 partner organizations were represented by passionate leaders who gathered to learn from each other, exchange ideas, make connections and get inspired to come back to their communities. No Kid Hungry is helping each organization with connections and resources so they can do their best in the communities they know most.
“The strength of our organization is our ability to convene,” said Lilian Singh, senior vice president of family and economic mobility, who is leading this effort. She reflected on her own childhood, growing up with a single mom and the vital role programs like SNAP and HUD played in ensuring she never went hungry. Many of the leaders in the room are now working to expand the reach of these programs to support even more single mothers. Recognizing the current threats to these essential supports, Singh quoted Angela Davis: “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
The convening focused on topics like the impact of the Child Tax Credit and advocacy paths to its expansion; the use of technology to connect families and kids to healthy meals; the power of storytelling; effective fundraising and more, but every conversation returned to centering single moms.
“We want to move from gratitude to agency,” shared Chastity Lord, president and CEO of the Jeremiah Program, one of our partners in this work. She explained that with the proper support, moms can use their superpowers to be the strongest advocates and leaders in innovation for programs for kids.
The Stories of Moms
When I was in that room with people committed to supporting families and sharing stories of single moms doing everything for their kids, I couldn’t help but think about my mom. If we didn’t have the support network we had, it would have been hard to even put food on the table.
This is what we are doing. We’re building support around moms—so they don’t have to do it all alone, so they don’t have to skip meals to make sure their kids eat, so they can dream big for themselves, for their kids and their communities.
I left the conference inspired because I’m confident that these networks of committed leaders will work together to lift millions of moms and kids out of poverty – millions of kids who are facing hunger.
You can help make this possible. When you support No Kid Hungry, you’re fueling the programs that feed children and empower the moms who raise them.
Stay tuned as we hear from our partners supporting single moms and kids on the ground. We will hear stories from moms all over the country and how these programs are making a difference in their lives.
Ways You Can Help
- Donate: $1 can help provide 10 meals* for kids. Your support will help us fund meal programs all over the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need. *Donations help support programs that feed kids; No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar.
- Speak up for kids: We need to act fast. Write to your Senators today and urge them to protect kids and families by rejecting these unprecedented cuts to SNAP which helps millions of Americans meet their most basic needs.
