New club for single moms offers support
By Tegan McRae, May 2009
Community Editor
A new club is set to open at Paradise Valley Community College in fall 2009, specifically aimed at single mothers.
Norma Chandler, manager of Career Services at PVCC, and Bill Hart, interim associate dean of Student Services, are working together with Chris Coffman, creator of the Helping Hands for Single Moms organization, to bring the Single Mother’s Community to PVCC.
The Single Mother’s Community will be a club for single mothers attending PVCC, giving them the opportunity to network with other single mothers and making juggling college life and parenting an easier task. The club will also offer scholarship support services.
Former pastor Chris Coffman created the club, which is in conjunction with the Helping Hands for Single Moms organization. Coffman found that “single moms perpetually found it difficult to raise their families.” He also notes that financially, many single mothers struggle to pay for school and their families.
Coffman began the Helping Hands organization and has since implemented it at other Maricopa County community colleges and plans to expand to more. The organization also offers a “scholarship plus” opportunity for members. The scholarship includes dental care, AAA towing, medicine gift cards, budget management and other services to benefit single mothers and their families.
To be eligible for the scholarship, the single mother must be taking at least nine credit hours a semester, maintain a GPA of at least 2.5, participate in the Single Mom’s network and live in Maricopa County. To qualify for the actual Helping Hands program, the participant must meet the above requirements, have a child under the age of 11 and must not be living with a domestic partner.
The Single Mother’s Community plans to officially begin in fall 2009, but anyone who wants to be part of the start-up process can contact PVCC Student Services at 602-787-7240.
Also, to be part of the Helping Hands for Single Moms organization, please visit www.helpsinglemoms.org.
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