Mother’s Day: the one day when western culture encourages us to celebrate our mothers for everything they have done for us. What the day often misses is the actual amount of work it takes to be a mother. Mothers are celebrated with cheeky sayings on glossy cards or flowers delivered, a once-a-year thanks to moms. No one really talks about the constant sacrifice mothers make, often with a smile and little complaint.
At L&P we thought we’d provide you with a little more than another “how to buy mom flowers” article. We’ve compiled a list of nonprofits that will help mothers in need. For this Mother’s Day, instead of spending $20 on chocolate and flowers that will be gone in a week or two, donate to these five organizations that support single mothers and their children.
Every Mother Counts
This organization reaches out to different communities in hopes to educate people on maternal health. They also donate money to community-led programs that strive to create equal access to items that are essential for maternity care. Every Mother Counts has donated $17 million dollars to different organizations and countries that need healthcare provided to them. On their website, they educate on topics about maternal health, even about how many women die every year because of complications while they are pregnant and during childbirth (303,000 women). Donating to this organization will provide transportation, education and supplies to mothers across the globe. Visit their website for more information on motherhood and what you can do to help: https://www.everymothercounts.org
Single Mom Strong
Here’s a support group created by a mom for moms. This group encourages single mothers and their children to go through enrichment and educational programs by having weekly workshops focused on empowerment and life skills. Any single mother in the group contributes by volunteering once a year for at least 90 minutes. When they receive donations, a lot of the money goes to directly supporting single moms. Donations also go towards feeding the kids that attend the weekly workshops with their mothers. Their Facebook page, Single Mom Strong, Inc., features events that are open to single mothers, fundraisers, and posts with personal stories. Visit their page to read personal stories and see how supportive this group is: https://www.singlemomstrong.org
Single Mothers Outreach
This Santa Clarita organization helps single mothers facing major life changes such as: “sudden housing instability, income loss, social deterioration (result of divorce, abandonment or widowhood) and emotional trauma”. Single Mothers Outreach offers workshops for single moms who want individual therapy, group therapy, and even help with building their computer skills. They have a new campaign going on right now where you take a picture with your mom, use the hashtag #SMOmomLove, nominate five of your other friends and increase donations. Any and all donations go to families and mothers in need. Visit their website to read more about the opportunities they offer to single mothers and to donate: http://singlemothersoutreach.org
Facebook: Single Mothers Outreach
One Ummah Foundation
This organization’s main focus is to end child labor by breaking the cycle of illiteracy and poverty in underdeveloped countries. One Ummah Foundation has many different projects ranging from nutrition to orphan support, however the one project I want to highlight is the Single Moms Project. This project allows one grant per mother so the mother does not have to choose between bills and her child.The grants are written by volunteers which means that they are formed to each mother’s needs. From the donations they receive, each mother that needs the grant gets one directly sent to her. This organization is a very close partner with “Dress For Success” which is a non-profit that assists disadvantaged women to gain economic independence. Visit their website to learn more about donating to the Single Mom Project at: https://www.theoneummah.org/special-projects
Facebook: One Ummah Foundation
Twitter: @theoneummah
Warrick Dunn Charities
Warrick Dunn Charities works closely with Habitat for Humanity and other programs that help single parents and children get closer to owning and living in a home. Thanks to the donations they have been receiving since 1997, they have helped 155 single parents and 419 dependent family members with home furnishes. These home furnishings help these single parents change their house into a home in a simple and powerful way. If you would like to learn more about their impact for the community and single parents visit their website: https://wdc.org
Facebook: Warrick Dunn Charities
Twitter: @WDCharities
Instagram: @wdcharities
What many forget about this day is that we should be thanking and celebrating mothers everyday. Thankfulness, love, and support should not be demanded and shown on one specific day. Consider supporting these organizations in the long term while also showing appreciation and support to your own mothers.
By: Kerasa Tsokas