In July, the Jeremiah Program’s Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses hosted their inaugural Voices Rising event. JP’s mission is to “disrupt the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children two generations at a time,” and the event celebrated the voices and success of single mom program alumni and brought the community together to showcase their support.

Over 175 guests and community partners attended this event. But, that’s not what made it special. As a summer intern at JP Minneapolis, I opened my computer to look at the event photos, and what struck me was this: In the 338 photos, I saw no one standing alone. 

The more I think about it, the more it all makes sense. It is not just their commitment to the mission that draws people to JP, but also the community they find there. A fellowship that welcomes everyone’s voice. 

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What I have found in this community is a group of people who are determined to show up for the causes that matter to them, and in doing so, show single mothers that they aren’t facing these challenges by themselves. They do this in many ways: by donating, pushing for policy reforms that will help single parents, and ensuring moms’ voices are heard.

JP moms are not separate from this community of JP staff and partners but are an integral part of it. A Voices Rising guest said, “I love that these student moms are given the resources so they can really fulfill their dreams and be impactful, positive forces in the community to help others.” During Voices Rising, JP alumni moms discussed their journeys on a panel, and there was one overwhelming theme. They are dedicated to giving back and advocating for single mothers and women in Minnesota. The moms enrolled in JP are fighting for the same thing as everyone else — progress for their community. They’re creating platforms to elevate their voices and the voices of other moms and engineering the solutions their families need.

When I ask myself what I really took away from this internship, what sticks with me is how much the moms are doing. Before this internship, I knew how many barriers single moms faced, but it’s different seeing the weight they carry firsthand. Being on the JP campus, I was able to clearly see the hours moms put in just to maintain their momentum and keep going to school and taking care of their kids. 

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This makes my contributions this summer even more meaningful. Getting to participate matters because every behind-the-scenes contribution removes an incremental bit of struggle for JP moms and their kids. Setting up an event for the moms isn’t just setting up an event, it’s helping support people who are already managing so much. As the end of my internship is approaching, I’ll be genuinely sad to turn in my computer because of the opportunity it’s given me to help break down these barriers for moms.

Voices Rising highlighted what’s possible for single moms when they have the resources necessary to thrive. Not only do their individual families succeed, but they also become leaders in their communities. The model of Voices Rising matters because conversations around economic mobility need to consider single-parent households.

Giving single moms the platform to voice their needs shouldn’t be unique to the Jeremiah Program. During Voices Rising, alumni moms said that being seen empowered them to push forward and go further in their careers and be seen in those spaces. Imagine if major policy discussions intentionally included single moms, not only to ensure their families’ needs are seen, but to recognize them for the leaders they can be. They’re a vital part of our communities, and our policies need to reflect that so Minnesota can be a place where these families don’t have to stand alone.

Violet Ditlevson is a junior at Saint Michael-Albertville High School and served as a summer intern with Jeremiah Program Minneapolis. She is passionate about economic justice, public policy and community-centered storytelling.

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