Help a single teen mama out
A young mom dropped me a line on this blog today, and I’m turning to your collective mama wisdom to see what we can think of to help her out. Here is her story in a nutshell:
“I am a single teenage mother and im finding how very hard it is. I had to put off school and atart working to support me and my son. I live in a shelter with him and i find myself depressed most of the time. I dont like the idea of having to raise my son in a shelter and i would love some advice and maybe some resources that can help us out.”
Audrianna, I don’t know what part of the world you’re in right now. Different countries have very different systems to help folks get up and out onto the road to independence. Your church, or your school’s counselor, might be able to give you some advice. Do some research into community colleges in your area– for instance, there’s a very successful program in Colorado for women in your situation, run by a community college. Look for Women, Infant, Children programs (WIC). See if you can get your GED if you didn’t manage to graduate from high school. Sign up for Freecycle in your area and keep an eye out for the things you need, like clothes for you and your son. Eventually, when you move into your own place, you can furnish your whole apartment for free!
What can Audrianna do to get her life moving in an upward direction?
Tags: assistance, shelter, teen-momRelated Stories
POSTED IN: assistance
10 opinions for Help a single teen mama out
Erin - ExpectingExecutive
Sep 4, 2007 at 10:28 pm
http://blogspot.expectingexecutive.com/2007/08/20/daycare-is-not-a-dirty-word.aspx
This is my blog address with lots of helpful information. There is someone within her state who will be assigned to make sure that she and her child are nourished, housed and that Audrianna has all of the assistance she needs to improve her education and employment opportunities. And, if you here from her again, feel free to send her my way and I will be more than happy to assist her if she needs a bit more support.
It is always nice to be in the company of kind and helpful individuals. You have probably helped this young lady in ways you may never know.
Erin
http://www.ExpectingExecutive.com
Carrie
Sep 4, 2007 at 10:30 pm
I think the most important thing is to realise there is ABSOLUTELY no shame in asking for help. Borrow Pursuit of Happyness from a friend and realise it is possible to make it. The one thing every single parent should take home from that movie is that the son always remembered the father BEING THERE. Wherever there was..
DOn’t beat yourself up about choices you made, look to the future and think you can only go up from here =)
Good luck!!
Betsy
Sep 5, 2007 at 12:47 am
I’d also echo the ‘don’t be afraid to ask for help’ bit.
Does the shelter offer any resources, or can they point to programs to help people transition into subsidized housing, for example? Can her local, state, or county resources or programs provide assistance.
The other aspect here is to find some tangible support for her - are there other single mothers in her shoes that she can connect with for support? A way to trade off childcare while she talks to a counselor, for example?
But the most important aspect is this: ask for help. People won’t let you down if you’re sincere and appreciative, even if you don’t end up taking their advice.
SC
Sep 5, 2007 at 2:08 am
I am in this position too, and a church gave me the names of ‘transitional housing’ programs. They can get her into housing and you pay a subsidized amount, and it’s not a shelter. Call the Salvation Army for help, any social services program like the welfare office (dept human svc), local food banks are great to ease the cost of food if she don’t get food stamps yet. Human Services (welfare) will help ease the burden of child care based on income & will help her get back in school. WIC is good for that, and also for getting local information on services to use.
Try using Meetup.com, or Yah00 groups, to find a mom’s group nearby; be it young moms, single moms, or just moms in general. Then she can become part of a network who can help out when she’s at wits end. Just going to the park or a free event helps when I’m down. I know being a single mom is so very hard and I’m in my 30s!
There’s no shame in caring for your child to get to a better place.
Kelly
Sep 5, 2007 at 12:15 pm
On the slight chance you live in Florida, there is Betacenter.org, whose sole purpose is to help people in your situation. And even if you don’t live here, maybe they can still help.
Also, http://www.parentswithoutpartners.org/ is a great resource to find other single parents in your area who might know more about where you can go for help, or might be able to help you themselves.
Thrifty Karen
Sep 6, 2007 at 10:29 pm
There are many programs out there to help get her on her feet. She needs to take a trip to social services and apply for low income housing, WIC, food stamps, Medicaid, and whatever else there is. They’ll let her know of the programs. Her housing (including utilities) will probably be less than $50 a month. If she’s working, she’ll also qualify for daycare assistance.
You’re right about Freecycle. You can clothe yourself and your family that way. My friend got her child’s first year of clothing from Freecycle. Sometimes you just have to let people know your needs. They don’t know until you tell them. Personally, I would not mind helping someone out in her situation.
There is a lot out there to help her through this difficult time.
christina
Sep 7, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Thank you all for your kind words and advice for this young woman. I emailed her, and I hope she will come back with more information so we can get her the help she needs.
angel
Sep 10, 2007 at 4:37 pm
i don’t have info on available resources- but if i could give one little piece of advice it took me waaaaaay too long to learn…
don’t hesitate to ask for or accept help when its offered.
christina
Sep 10, 2007 at 8:43 pm
thanks, Angel, that one hit me over the head so hard it didn’t have to repeat the lesson. thank goodness.
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