Member Impact
Nonprofit Offers Tools for Success to
Single Moms
By Matt Beardmore
Even with a college degree, Joanne Grady found it challenging to raise two children as a single mom.
As the Business Relations Director for Phoenix-based Helping Hands for Single Moms, Grady is proud to work for a nonprofit that is removing some of the roadblocks that can prevent single moms from receiving an education and breaking the cycle of poverty.
Grady, a Chicago-area native, became a single mom when her husband left home – her children were just 3 and 5 years old. Despite having a Bachelor of Science degree in child development and family relations from Illinois State University, Grady struggled as she juggled work, parenting, and single-handedly running a household. She found practical and emotional support at that time with two close friends, who were also single moms.
“Neither of them had a degree,” Grady said, “and I saw the difference in their career opportunities compared to what I had.”
In 2005 Grady learned about Helping Hands for Single Moms’ mission of “assisting low-income single mom families as the mother attains a college education, financial independence, and positive family legacy” while in a Bible study. The organization, founded by Chris Coffman, spoke to her heart and she began volunteering as a mentor for a small group of moms.
More than 22 years later, Helping Hands for Single Moms has 100 single moms at a time participating in its Scholarship-Plus Program. They offer a number of no-cost benefits, such as free auto repairs, AAA emergency roadside membership, dental and eye care for mom, (need-based) rent assistance, professional counseling, and the highlight for the moms, a $4,000 a year scholarship paid as a monthly stipend to the single mom to supplement her income and help pay for family needs (food, daycare, cell phone, rent, etc.).
The majority of the women work and can earn up to 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, while still qualifying for the program. Single moms submit a scholarship application once, yet they must submit class grades, credit hours of completion and proof of credit hours enrolled for each semester. They also need to maintain a 2.8 grade-point average and attend the Single Moms College Community meetings throughout the year.
One of the most widely used benefits is the auto repair program. Through various grants, Helping Hands for Single Moms provides for the cost of parts. Numerous auto shops who are part of NARPRO (Network of Neighborhood Auto Repair Professionals) or locally-owned Christian Brothers Auto Repairs donate their time and labor when program participants’ cars need repair.
“These moms are limping along on a shoestring budget and are praying every time they turn the key to their car,” Grady said. “They are so very grateful. At times, we’ve helped replace a mom’s car with a ‘gently loved and refurbished’ one, when one is available.”
The annual Holiday Happiness Event has become one of its signature activities, when gift donors shop from the children’s wishlists and then wrap those presents with the single mom, who takes those gifts home to their kids. “It is heartwarming and humbling and a little scary for the single moms, but they really appreciate it,” Grady said. “Yet, those who donate the gifts always say that they go home feeling even more blessed than the mom who took those gifts out the door!”
The event also includes a celebration of the fall graduates (there were 42 total grads in 2023), and the presentation of an award. They bring inspiration to the event with either a My Mom, My Hero Award, (for a woman honored by her “now-adult-child” who has achieved a level of fame), or a Lifetime Achievement Award, (for women who raised a “celebrity child” as a single mom and persevered to champion families or women-at-risk in various ways). Over the years these have been awarded to Dr. Wanda Durant (basketball star Kevin Durant’s mom), Dr. Lucille O’Neal (Shaquille O’Neal’s mom), Andrea Ayton (Deandre Ayton’s mom), and numerous others.
Since Helping Hands for Single Moms receives no government funding, fundraising activities are critical for the organization to maintain and grow its offerings.
Former Phoenix Suns player and current Suns Broadcast Analyst, and Co-Host on NBA Today Show, Sirius 207 XM, Eddie Johnson served as the emcee of the Holiday Happiness Event in 2012. He was hooked. Johnson, whose mother raised him and his six siblings alone on a post office clerk’s salary while living in the projects of Chicago, tells the story of going home to his wife, Joy, after emceeing Holiday Happiness. He told her this was the organization he was looking to connect with … and the Eddie Johnson & Friends Celebrity Events was born.
The Johnsons have helped raise $2.5 million for Helping Hands for Single Moms since the first Eddie Johnson Celebrity Event was held 10 years ago. It has morphed into a 3-day opportunity for celebrity guests and attendees to participate in any or all activities: poker, golf, or gala.
For all their efforts, and for all the dedication from the organization’s volunteers and staff over the last two-plus decades, the result is that single moms in the Valley who desire post-secondary education, have a place to turn to help them succeed. The resources and social connections can not only help them earn a degree (the graduation rate for program participants is approximately 80%), but to secure a job with a livable wage (the average salary for program graduates is $62,000). Maybe more importantly, Helping Hands for Single Moms helps single moms focus more on classwork, less on life’s distractions and limits the disruption that college can have on the entire family.
“Taking one or two classes at a time disrupts the family anyway and it will take forever to finish,” Grady said. “By completing their education sooner, single moms’ children still have time to benefit from the sacrifice they had to make while mom was in college. And secretly, I think they like sitting around the table doing homework together!”
“When we go to graduation, what resonates is when we see kids together with their moms and the kids are jumping up and down saying, ‘We did it, we did it!’ They really take ownership of their mom graduating college.”
The “bonus” for us,” Grady said, “is when we learn, at some point down the road, that many of those children went on to college as well and are working, contributing members in their community.”
For more information on Helping Hands for Single Moms, please visit www.helpinghandsforsinglemoms.org.