Motherhood was never meant to be done alone—and a mother’s dreams shouldn’t depend on whether she can find childcare that works with her children’s schedules.
I want people to understand that the only way this works is if we help each other. There is no way around it. Everybody needs a community. Everybody needs somebody. Having the mindset that you don’t need anybody is unrealistic. If I see a single mom in the store trying to get groceries while her baby is crying, I’m going to ask, “What do you need me to do?” We have to learn how to lend a helping hand.
Christy’s story reveals how America’s care system relies on women to shoulder impossible responsibilities with too little support.
“If I had more financial stability, it would help a lot. It would help with food, the kids and the pressure of trying to keep everything together. Even a little more would give me some room to breathe. When I’m not so stressed, I can focus more on caring for my mom and helping my children. That is what I do every day.”
Last month, Springboard to Opportunities gathered at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson for our Night of Storytelling — a community celebration we have made an annual tradition of.
For the first time, we featured the kids of Magnolia Mother’s Trust recipients who showed a room full of adults how smart, powerful and deeply insightful they are.
We were especially grateful to have New York Times bestselling young adult author Jason Reynolds as a facilitator. He met the kids with respect and deep care, creating space for them to have a brilliant conversation about their experiences and big plans for the future.
At Springboard, we believe storytelling is a form of power; and that true change comes from centering people over pundits. Thank you to everyone who joined us in sharing the joy of working toward brighter days while celebrating the wins big and small, and above all — always being rooted in community.
Huge shoutout to our entire team for helping bringing this night to life with such care!
Watch our video recap from this event and listen closely for some highlights from each of our youth storytellers. John, Kentavius, and Tamya bravely showed up and spoke with confidence. We are so proud of each of them!
“For the past two summers, our organization has stepped in with our own summer cash program to fill the gap. We provided direct cash assistance to families, trusting them to make the best choices for their children.
The results speak for themselves: More than 85 percent of families reported no barriers to accessing enough food, and nearly as many said they were able to buy more protein, fresh fruit and vegetables than ever before.
We’ve shown that this model works. All it would take for Mississippi to extend that success statewide is a governor’s yes, a simple decision to opt into a federal program that would cost the state next to nothing in administrative funds. Yet again this year, Gov. Reeves declined, insisting that summer feeding sites and existing benefits are enough. Families have told us, loud and clear, that they are not.” – Sarah Stripp
