supporting
single moms

I am a new mom with an 8 week old baby.  I met a man two years ago, two weeks into it, I discovered he had a very bad addiction to crack cocaine.  I decided to stand by him. I got him into rehab, things were okay for a while but then he slipped back into it. At 22 I found myself working to support myself and his kids (not mine), while he would leave for weeks on binges, their mother was an alcoholic so when their dad disappeared they wanted to stay with me.  Eventually things got better and we got engaged, but slowly the addiction creeped back into our world and so did the violence.  I eventually got a restraining order and he eventually violated it by breaking into the home and holding me against my will for two days. He held knives to my throat and beat me constantly.  He was arrested and given probation, I luckily survived.  Eventually we worked things out and he stopped the booze and the drugs.  We got pregnant.  I stopped working at 7 months we got a new apartment.  A month after having the baby he started drinking again, and doing the drugs. I now am being forced to move into a place of our own with no money, searching every day for a miracle. l even looked into shelters, but they are currently booked. I call daily for a spot with a crib to be available. I am struggling daily, physically and emotionally. I want so much more for my son, certainly more than his children ever had. 

Please help me build a safe life for my child.

Dear Mom, here is some information for you to research. We hope things work out for you. Please stay in touch. Good luck!

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD – Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet
http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/about/fact_sheet.cfm
The housing choice voucher program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.

Special Needs Housing, Combating Homelessness 
http://www.ncsha.org/section.cfm/53/523/2286
Programs that best provide affordable housing and services for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Bridge of Hope
http://www.bridgeofhopeinc.org
Ending and preventing homelessness in every community, one church and one family at a time.
Bridge of Hope brings together professional staff and trained church-based mentoring groups to empower homeless and at-risk single mothers to attain:
Permanent housing, Financial self-sufficiency, Life-changing friendships, Growth and wholeness.
Bridge of Hope National
311 National Road
Exton, PA 19341
Phone: 1-610-280-0280       
Toll-free: 1-866-670-HOPE
Fax: 1-610-280-3280

Florence Crittenton Services, Charlotte, NC
http://www.fcsnc.org
Florence Crittenton Services of Charlotte, NC is one of the largest comprehensive residential problem pregnancy programs in the United States. In addition to a safe environment during pregnancy, a full range of services are provided including health and prenatal care, education, adoption programs, parenting skills/early childhood development education, life skills, scholarships, group and individual counseling and family planning.
The Sarah’s House Mother/Child program empowers new mothers by focusing on early childhood development, attachment issues and prevention of neglect and abuse.
1300 Blythe Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
PO Box 36392, Charlotte, NC 28236
1-800-448-0024/704-372-4663 (Charlotte)
Fax: 1-704-334-8169

Our Families Our Future – Cheyenne, WY
http://www.ourfamiliesourfuture.org
Our Families Our Future is a Wyoming non-profit organization that helps low-income single mothers on their path to economic self-sufficiency.
Our Families Our Future
1001 W. 31st Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001
Phone: 1-307-778-0094, Fax: 1-307-778-0095

Vision House
http://www.vision-house.org
Provides safe and confidential transitional housing with integrated support services to homeless single mothers and their children.
Vision House
P.O. Box 2951
Renton, Washington 98056
Phone: 1-425-228-6356
Fax:  1-425-430-9590
 
Community Action Partnership, Sonoma County, CA
http://www.capsonoma.org/programs.htm
Giffen House - Affordable housing for single mothers with children and single women who are working toward overcoming their homelessness, getting off of public assistance and working toward long term stability. All residents are enrolled in an individualized program designed to help them  http://www.capsonoma.org/forms/oriontatweb.pdf

Food Stamp Program
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Memo/Support/state-applications.htm
The Food Stamp Program helps low-income people and families buy
the food they need for good health.  You apply for benefits by completing a State application form.  Benefits are provided on an electronic card that is used like an ATM card and accepted at most grocery stores.

Valuable Help for Mothers and Children in Need (WIC)
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/
WIC provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Government Benefits
http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal
GovBenefits.gov is the official benefits website of the U.S. government, with information on over 1,000 benefit and assistance programs.
Search government programs for Child care/Child Support, Counseling, Disability Assistance, Education/Training, Energy Assistance, Food/Nutrition, Insurance, Living Assistance, Loan/Loan Repayment, Medicaid/Medicare, Social Security, Tax Assistance, Veterans-Active Duty, Volunteer Opportunities.

Angel Food Ministries
http://www.angelfoodministries.com
Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and contributing to benevolent outreaches in communities throughout the United States.
By buying food from first rate suppliers at substantial volume discounts, Angel Food Ministries is able to provide families with approximately $65 worth of quality nutritious food for $30. Angel Food Ministries does not use out-of-date food or inferior products.

Social Security Information for Women
http://www.ssa.gov/women

Supplemental Security Income SSI
http://www.ssa.gov/ssi
SSI is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes); it is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and it provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.
Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool
http://connections.govbenefits.gov/ssa_en.portal

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children & Families (ACF)
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/acf_services.html
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for federal programs that promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.

HHS Child Care
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/ccdf/index.htm
The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) has made available $5 billion to States, Territories, and Tribes in fiscal year 2008. This program, authorized by the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, and Section 418 of the Social Security Act, assists low-income families, families receiving temporary public assistance, and those transitioning from public assistance in obtaining child care so they can work or attend training/education.

HHS Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/
The mission of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is to assist low income households, particularly those with the lowest incomes that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy, primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs.