Phoenix nonprofit helps single moms pursue higher education
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Helping Hands for Single Moms held an annual holiday event earlier this month to celebrate the mothers in the program who had earned their college degrees along, with a surprise announcement: Each mom would receive an extra $1,000 thanks to an anonymous donation the group received.
Members of the Phoenix Suns basketball team partner with the nonprofit to help single mothers who are pursuing a college education. This year, the holiday event was presented by Phoenix Suns team player Mikal Bridges. The Suns mascot known as the "Gorilla" attended the event to help make the special announcement about the donation.
Aleigha Dorame is a single mother who enrolled in Helping Hands for Single Moms this year and is studying to be a nurse. "Before coming here, I was telling the ladies (other moms) that I wasn't going to be able to get my son anything for Christmas. I was praying that God would help me," Dorame said. Three days later, Dorame said she got the call about the holiday event and learned that she would receive Christmas gifts for her son.
"I am so grateful. I was moved to tears hearing about the $1,000," Dorame said. She couldn't afford a Christmas tree this year and plans to use a portion of the money to buy one.
Helping Hands for Single Moms provides scholarships and services including car maintenance and repairs to single mothers while they attend school. The goal? To break the cycle of poverty within families.
The Downtown Phoenix-based group received $10,000 from Season for Sharing last year. It was one of 164 Arizona nonprofits that shared $1.8 million in donations from readers of The Arizona Republic and others who supported the annual Republic-sponsored drive. The funds helped provide scholarships for mothers in the program.
Ways to give
Fill out the secure, online form at sharing.azcentral.com.
Text “SHARING” to 91-999 and click on the link in the text message.
Go online at facebook.com/seasonforsharing and look for the “DONATE HERE” post.
Clip the coupon on Page 4A of The Arizona Republic, fill it out and mail it to P.O. Box 29250, Phoenix AZ 85038-9250.
Make a donation when you buy tickets to Las Noches de las Luminarias at Desert Botanical Garden. dbg.org.
Where does the money go?
When you give to Season for Sharing, you are helping nonprofits that support education, feed the hungry and help struggling families and older adults. The Republic pays all administrative costs, so 100% of donations go back to the community.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix nonprofit helps single moms break the cycle of poverty
