Oklahoma nonprofit helping single mothers is set to expand its reach through grant
Edmond-based Arise Single Moms recently received a $100,000 grant from Impact Oklahoma, a network of women committed to supporting nonprofits. Edmond-based Arise Single Moms, a local nonprofit that has been helping single mothers and their children for decades, has received a $100,000 grant from Impact Oklahoma, a network of women supporting nonprofits in the Oklahoma City metro area. The grant will be used to expand its "Single Mom Impact Hub," an online education center featuring expert advice on parenting, emotional wellness, finances, relationships and spiritual growth. The hub also includes an online crisis advice center for new single moms. The funds will also help the nonprofit enhance its leadership network of single mothers who are currently mentoring small group communities.
Publié : il y a 10 mois par , The Oklahoman dans Lifestyle
Oklahoma nonprofit helping single mothers is set to expand its reach through grant
A local nonprofit that has been helping single mothers and their children for several decades is currently making plans to expand and enhance its reach.
Edmond-based Arise Single Moms recently received a $100,000 grant from Impact Oklahoma, a network of women committed to supporting nonprofits in the Oklahoma City metro area.
Pam Kanaly, one of the co-founders of Arise Single Moms, said the ministry will use the grant to expand its "Single Mom Impact Hub," an online education center featuring expert advice free to single moms on a variety of topics, including parenting, emotional wellness, finances, relationships and spiritual growth. The hub also includes an online crisis advice center for new single moms.
"Our desire is to foster resiliency and create positive change through our expanded education portal, and this project turns digital support into tangible support for the fastest growing population in the country, which is single moms," Kanaly said.
The ministry leader said Arise Single Moms was one of the first organizations to provide online tools for single moms when it launched its online education center, featuring podcasts, articles and videos in 2015. She said counselors, trauma therapists, financial experts and other professionals cover topics relevant to 10,000 Oklahoma single mothers each year via the hub.
Another popular aspect of the site is the nonprofit's Single Momcast, a podcast which includes discussions about topics of interest to single mothers. Kanaly said the podcast currently requires its own platform due to more than 50,000 downloads.
"We can no longer accommodate the growth," she said. "Single moms are downloading and listening at a very rapid rate and our website can no longer handle the volume of traffic."
Kanaly said traffic on the online hub recently surged by 64% and she and Arise Single Mom's other co-founder Shelley Pulliam realized that the organization's website couldn't handle the increase.
She said the recent grant will allow the ministry to establish a separate platform for the single moms' podcast, which will include search features, episode descriptions and downloadable handouts.
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The funds will also help the nonprofit enhance its leadership network of single mothers who are currently mentoring small group communities. Kanaly said there are about 40 leaders who have been trained to mentor more than 500 single mothers participating in small groups.
"We want to support these women in the trenches, and possibly really be the only ones looking in their eyes, to say, 'I see you,'" she said. "Anyone can create resources, but we want to create resources that pair with relationships and foster community so, we've developed an extensive leadership area that provides materials and equips them in leading their groups."
Kanaly said the organization was preparing to host its Thrive gathering, an event designed for single mothers that is typically held in June each year. She said Arise Single Moms recently celebrated the gathering's 20th anniversary during the annual event held June 7-8 at Crossings Community Church.
The gatherings usually draw women from across the country for activities aimed at empowering single mothers and offering the positive opportunities to interact with each other. The event includes inspirational speakers, a panel discussion, breakout sessions, meals, fellowship time for single mothers and childcare for their children.
Impact Oklahoma has helped fund nonprofits for nearly 20 years
In the 17 years since its start, Impact Oklahoma has distributed $4.1 million in grant funds. Each year, the group encourages agencies working in the family, health and wellness, education, community and arts and culture arenas to submit an application to fund a "dream" project they would be unlikely to complete without grant funding.
Along with Arise Single Moms, the Latino Community Development Agency also received a $100,000 grant from organization at its May 2024 meeting. Three other finalists received grants of $35,000 each. They included: ReStore OKC, Peppers Ranch Foster Community and Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program.
For more information about Arise Single Moms, go to https://arisesinglemoms.com/. For more information about Impact Oklahoma, go to https://www.impactok.org/.
Les sujets: Nonprofits