May 11, 2018
Mother’s Day is this Sunday May 13, and to celebrate, we want to take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many ways our clients and partners are making a difference in the lives of mothers in their communities, and beyond.
At Elevate, we believe in supporting programs and policies that serve mothers in meaningful ways. We do this as an employer, through parental leave and flexible work schedule policies that give staff the support and flexibility they need to be present for their families. But one of the most transformative ways we are able to support mothers is by partnering with nonprofit organizations whose work makes a positive impact on the lives of moms and their families.
By providing everything from wraparound services, to financial tools and resources, to accessible housing, to legal services, these organizations work tirelessly to create meaningful opportunities for moms and families who need them most. The list below illustrates just some of the ways our clients and their programs support mothers of all kinds. We invite you to join us in recognizing and appreciating their work!
Greater DC Diaper Bank works to empower mothers and families throughout the DC region by providing a reliable and adequate source of basic baby needs and personal hygiene products. Through their four unique programs, Greater DC Diaper Bank collects the essential supplies and products families need to be safe, happy, and healthy — and helps distribute them to families in need. Additionally, through their newest project, The Monthly, Greater DC Diaper Bank collects donated tampons and pads, and works with nearly forty nonprofit organizations in the region to distribute them to the people who need them.
Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) is an Israeli-based international nonprofit organization with special consultative status granted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (ECOSOC). SACH was founded with the mission of improving the quality of pediatric cardiac care for children in developing countries, and creating centers of competence in these countries. All children who come from outside of Israel for treatment are invited to stay at the Children’s Home, a pluralistic, multi-lingual environment that allows children and families to recover in a supportive community. The home accommodates SACH children and their caregivers (often mothers or aunts) and includes a children’s playground, a backyard garden, toys and games for the children, and all modern amenities.
Life Asset works to help alleviate poverty in the Washington DC metropolitan area by empowering people through affordable financial products, services, and education. They provide microloans, financial and business training, networking opportunities, and office and retail space—all of which help promote self-reliance and self-respect, and expand social and economic opportunities for low income individuals.
Life Asset’s work impacts not only the individuals they serve — 80% of whom are women — but also their families, friends, and the community at large. For example: by supporting 40-50 home daycares, Life Asset not only provides a sustainable source of income for entrepreneurs, but this investment also ensures that parents in their communities have the reliable childcare they need to retain a job and support their families.
Hope and a Home is a local nonprofit in the District of Columbia whose mission is to empower low-income families with children in D.C. to create stable homes of their own and to make lasting changes in their lives. Their long term vision is to break the cycle of poverty for qualified families through their programs and services. Among Hope and a Home’s core beliefs is the idea that stable housing, educational success, rewarding work, and a connection to one’s community are invaluable to every family’s development. As such, they embrace a holistic approach as the most effective way to achieve lasting change for children and their families.
Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County (Habitat SKC) builds families’ strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter, building new homes to create affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income families and supporting low-income homeowners and communities through home repairs and education. Being able to afford a safe, stable home to call your own is particularly important for parents with children. Of the more than 1,776 people Habitat SKC has helped shelter in its organizational history, 995 of them have been children.
Many of Habitat SKC’s partner families are headed by hardworking single mothers looking to ensure a brighter future for their children. When Elevate’s Habitat SKC client team were in Seattle last November on a site visit, they had the privilege of attending a home dedication ceremony for one of those partner families — watching as a U.S. Army veteran and a single mother of two cut the ribbon with her kids on their brand new home just in time for the holidays!
Volunteers of America has served the people of Pennsylvania since 1896, the same year our nationwide movement began with the promise to “go wherever we are needed, and do whatever comes to hand.” Their innovative human services directly address the quality of life in Pennsylvania by meeting the material, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals; by strengthening families, and by building healthier, more productive, and more compassionate communities for all.
The VOA Children’s Center in Allentown provides accredited, high quality early childhood education and care to underserved families in Allentown, enabling mothers and other caregivers to pursue their own education or career. VOA also supports a number of homeless moms who seek shelter in their Ruth’s Place women’s shelter, by helping them to obtain stable housing so they can reunite with their children. Additionally, they provide case management and a baby pantry for moms through our Caring Alternatives program. Finally, their All of Us Care program in Pittsburgh also provides an after-school option for mothers who need a safe place for their kids to go until they get home from work or school.
The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer America by cutting gun deaths in half. The Brady Center’s ASK (Asking Saves Kids) campaign is an important component of this mission, and empowers parents to ask the simple question, “Is there an unlocked gun in your home?” before sending children over to play. In partnership with organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and National Parent Teacher Association, The Brady Center provides a variety of resources full of compelling facts and pointers to help parents begin these discussions with their networks.
Children’s Law Center (CLC) fights so every DC child can grow up with a loving family, good health and quality education. As part of this mission, CLC meets—and works closely with—amazing, dedicated moms every day. When we asked the CLC team if we could highlight their work in honor of Mother’s Day, that’s who they immediately thought of—the moms who work so hard to advocate for their families.
They shared just a couple of scenarios of DC moms as powerful advocates for their families. Like moms everywhere, the moms who CLC works with help their children with homework, stay home from work when their kids are too sick to go to school, and rush them to the doctor when their child is ill. But CLC says their moms are extra special because they have to stand up to teachers and landlords who often ignore them. For example, CLC often works with moms who have done everything they can to get their child the educational support necessary to address a learning disability, but the school refuses to help. In these cases, CLC attorneys partner with the parent, taking legal action to fight for the child’s education. CLC also works with moms trying to get the landlord and government agencies to turn heat on in the winter or clean up the mold caused by leaky pipes. They join forces with the mom to force landlords to make critical repairs to protect her family. The list could go on.
The takeaway? Moms are fierce advocates for their families. Moms are often the ones fighting for their family’s health and education. Moms inspire us and the CLC team every day.
About the Author:
Michelle Anthony LaCroix