MOMentum: Moms & Mentors Program at 1Up Single Parent Resource Centre

The 1Up Single Parent Resource Centre is a charitable organization that has been serving the evolving needs of single parent families since 1978. We offer support to single moms and dads in form of food supplies, counselling, parent coaching, clothing, children’s birthday gifts, school supplies, and educational and life skills courses, including a ‘Dads with Dads’ support group.

Our MOMentum: Moms and Mentors program connects single mothers with volunteer mentors from the community. Mentors have parenting experience, and they are a touchstone, sounding board, cheerleader, and a person to just have some fun with when the going gets tough. They support “their” mom to recognize her capacity to be the best possible parent to her children, making it through the difficult process of raising a child (or several) on her own.

Moms and mentors spend about two hours per week together, with or without the children, depending on how it works best for the mom, doing things that both parties enjoy. They may meet at the playground or at a café, or do just about anything that’s fun or useful—going for a walk, shopping for groceries, cooking together, or visiting an art gallery. Mentors act as an ear and emotional support for the mom they are matched with and they support any goal that she sets for herself.

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During Covid times it has shown especially important to have a trustworthy, reliable support to reach out to. Many of our moms have been stuck at home with their children and have had no other adults to turn to  for support and advice. Mentors help moms with what to do with children who are equally ‘cooped’ up, stressing the mom’s mental and emotional capacity. The mentor relationship has been a life line for many, whether through phone, online, text, or one-on-one, socially-distanced outdoor meetings.

The Moms and Mentors program also offers a group component through regular meetings and get-togethers. It allows participants to meet others in the same situation, and to feel part of a community while learning life and self-help skills. These meetings have been continued online during the pandemic, with a couple fair-weather, in person, distanced social gatherings.

We currently have room for more participants in our program, both for Moms and Volunteer Mentors, and would be happy to welcome you.

For more information please contact Sanni: [email protected], or 250-385-1114 ext. 5 singleparentvictoria.ca or 1-up.ca

IslandParent
IslandParent
Vancouver Island's Parenting Resource