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live lo c a l p ro fi l e the life of a
single
mom by joy holden ? a n organization like this takes a lifetime,? tiffany temple, business and communications director of the life of a
single
mom, shares. ?jennifer maggio never forgot what it felt like to be a
single
mom even a?er corporate success and marriage. she always remembered what it was like to be on her bathroom floor, wondering how she was going to feed her kids and feeling hopeless. for maggio, the founder of the life of a
single
mom (
tlsm
), the burning desire in her heart to give back to
single
moms motivated her to start a small group of
single
moms out of her home. today, over 1,500
groups
of
single
moms meet in similar
groups
across the nation. and, these
groups
are just the beginning of
tlsm
?s impact.
tlsm
has blossomed into a global nonprofit that offers a multi- faceted approach to supporting
single
mothers.
tlsm
utilizes several programs that include the three pillars of financial literacy, parenting, and wellness to assure that ?no
single
mom walks alone,? which is the heartbeat of
tlsm
. the core of
tlsm
is the support
groups
. as of 2018, 33,048
single
mothers nationwide have been impacted by the
tlsm
support
groups
. baton rouge has six such
groups
, and
tlsm
encourages churches and community
groups
to start more. a typical night at a
tlsm
support group provides childcare, a meal, and fellowship for the mothers. praise and worship, a guest speaker, and small
groups
follow. temple explains that the small group conversations go beyond parenting and dive into every aspect of life. many of the
single
moms who come together are looking for ways to cope, tips to manage their hectic lives, and friendly faces to listen to their concerns. ?our
groups
contain women ranging from grandmothers to first time moms. it?s most about having community and doing life together,? temple shares. the nights conclude with giveaways, which can be everything from toiletries to books to groceries. within these small
groups
,
tlsm
also offers
single
parenting 101 classes. ?we meet these mothers where they are and walk with them through the seasons of
single
parenting,? says temple. temple?s connection to
tlsm
started with attending one of the local support group meetings four years ago. she stumbled upon the group through a friend and some online research. though interested, she wavered for a few days before deciding to give it a try. ?i didn?t even embrace that term, ?
single
mom,? because it had such a negative connotation. i thought if i went, they would pity me, and then i would get offended, but it was nothing like i feared,? she reflects. one unique program, serving other sisters (sos), provides an opportunity for five
single
mothers to join together and help another mom with home improvement projects. they partner with a local contractor and work towards improvement. in addition to serving,
single
moms can also grow through
tlsm
single
moms university, a collection of 10-minute online courses taught by experts in the fields of financial literacy, parenting, and health and wellness. through an affordable monthly subscription, moms can have access to information that can catapult them into successful futures.
tlsm
has partnered with the re- entry program for female prisoners at hunts and jetson correctional centers to help ease those women back into their families and society through the smu courses.
tlsm
staff visits the prisons to help prepare the women for the transition of going home to their families. there are 15 million
single
parents across the country, and louisiana ranks second in the nation. the need for more
tlsm
support
groups
is great. to begin a group,
tlsm
provides a ministry kit with everything needed to launch and sustain a support group. temple adds, ?we want all
single
moms to know that we exist to serve them, love them, and walk with them so they?re not alone.? ? for more information, visit thelifeofa
single
mom.com. 3 6 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | j a n u a r y 2 0 1 8
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