When my children were small, and my husband worked crazy hours, I would often complain that I felt like a single mom.

I had no idea, really.

Sure, it was hard schlepping the kids around by myself, or having dinner and bedtime routines without help when he worked late. But look—I had a financial partner, lover and friend. He was probably around a lot more than I remember. When he was missing, it was often because he was making money to help support our family. My kids had a daddy who loved them, worked to provide for them, and would engage in all sorts of fun antics (and occasional serious conversations) with them when he wasn’t at work. Sometimes, he’d take the kids to work with him.

Single mom? Not even close.

IMG_0276Single moms do all that, plus so much more. They’re balancing all the challenges of raising kids alone, along with working outside the home. They’re doing this without a financial partner or friend to come alongside of them.

That’s why I love the work and results of Fellowship Housing. They come alongside single moms, and invite them on a journey toward independence. This amazing organization partners with single moms to help them learn to budget, pay off debt, and be stronger, better parents. You can read more about them on their website at http://fhcmoms.org

Fellowship offers moms a hand up, not a handout. The moms have to engage in a two-year program where they are working, following a strict budget, meeting with a case worker who holds them accountable, and moving toward financial independence. It’s a rigorous program, and it gets great results.

On May 14, I’m running the Fellowship Housing 5K to raise support for this amazing organization. My team, Moms on the Run, will run, and I’m asking you to donate. Our goal is to raise $1000. We’d love to have you partner with us to help single moms. Just go to our team fundraising page, http://www.fhcmoms.org/give/moms-on-the-run/ and click on the big yellow “Donate” button. if you’re a runner, it’s not to late to join our team. You can do that at the bottom of our fundraising page. If you’d like to run with us, register there, but leave a comment or send me an email about that.

Thanks!