ingle Mothers Outreach, which has expanded to include four single fathers, along with the 253 households with single mothers, has a vision to maximize the success of its clientele.

The non-profit organization operates with a system

that it calls “four pillars of success.”

ASSIST

Through case management, SMO can guide agency efforts to provide advocacy and resources to individuals. The goal is to foster self-sufficiency. The organization has developed a “Single Parent Resource Guide” with updated lists of various resources, including childcare, food, clothing, legal, housing, financial assistance and more.

Single moms and dads can choose from a closet full of clothing options once every two months. The collection of gently used attire is opened in August to distribute back-to-school supplies donated by the community.

Emergency assistance is available, often for financial needs, distributed on a case-by-case basis.

There is a Google online support group for single parents living in the Santa Clarita Valley. Large donations, including cars and appliances are distributed through this site.

GROW

Improving the life skills of clients is essential to the Single Mothers Outreach program. Women are trained in financial literacy through a 13-week course taught by nationally syndicated radio talk show host and New York Times bestselling author, Dave Ramsey.

Plans are underway to provide computer classes, home-based technology and business training also. Both career counseling and skill building workshops, in topics from family law to wellness, often involve community partnerships with organizations such as Zonta International, the Child and Family Center and the City of Santa Clarita.



SUSTAIN

One of SMO’s main features is promoting education. Sometimes subsidies are provided, often supplementing the costs of childcare or transportation. The goal is to lower the dropout rate among clients. The group makes local scholarships known to the single mothers, through Zonta International and Soroptimist International.

INSPIRE

Single mothers are further motivated to persevere, and are rewarded for hard work. The “Inspire” programs are rewards-based events to celebrate parents who show evidence they are working hard to move their families forward. These events are earned in one of three ways: carrying six units in college or in a trade school; attending two “Grow” workshops annually; or being a new client (less than 12 months).



The single parents in SMO’s program look forward to annual events provided by the friends and partners of the foundation. Each year they are treated to a special luncheon or family activity in the organization’s “Make a Mother’s Day” program. Thanks to Six Flags Magic Mountain, last year’s Mother’s Day afforded the single parents an all-day free park admission, parking, treats and lunch. During the holidays, generous donors provide the families with gifts and meals.

“We continually explore program innovations that will create the greatest opportunity for families to overcome their financial struggles and enter the economic mainstream,” said Director DaAnne Smith. “Success for us hinges on fulfilling our mission. The feedback we receive from parents is that what we are doing is really making a difference in their lives.”

Smith, who is a volunteer, joined the Board of Directors in 2006. “It is rewarding to see parents empowered with tools that help them move their families forward,” she said.

Smith became interested in aiding single parents after hearing her mother-in-law, Dorothy, recount stories from her childhood. Due to an alcoholic father, Dorothy’s mother settled in the country with her four children.

“This was a highly courageous thing for a woman to do in 1933, and she was ostracized and outcast by many,” said Smith. “They rose above their circumstances and became victors instead of victims.”

Smith considers some of today’s single parents to be silent heroes. “Child rearing is bone-wearying work. I know how much I relied on my husband to give me a break from the daily demands our children placed on me. I could not imagine doing this alone, day after day, without a break. That is when I became an advocate for the often voiceless single mother,” said Smith. “I have never been a single mother, but I was changed by the power of a single mother’s story. As a result, my life will never be the same.”

Contact Single Mothers Outreach by calling (661) 288-0117 or visit www.singlemothersoutreach.org.

Single Mothers Outreach

Family Statistics

Number of Parents: 257

Single Dads: 4

Single Moms: 253

Average age of Parent: 36

Average family size: 2.97

Marital Status

Divorced/Separated: 55%

Single never married: 45%

Widowed: 40%

Race

Caucasian: 48%

Hispanic: 31%

African/American: 10%

Multi-Ethnic: 7%

Asian: 3%

Domestic Violence

Yes: 55%

No: 45%

Income

< $15,000: 64%

$15,000-30,000: 27%

$30,000-50,000: 8%

>$50,000: 1%