Jennifer Maggio is an author, national speaker and chief executive officer of The Life of a Single Mom — an organization founded in 2011 that works to start support groups, host empowerment events, provide life skills education and more for women across the country.
As of last December, the organization reached its one-millionth mom. In 2022 alone, Maggio served 12,000 Louisiana moms. She says that her commitment to Louisiana single mothers has never been stronger as she forges ahead with one mission: No single mom walks alone.
What inspired you to start this organization? In turn, what’s your mission for it?
The Life of a Single Mom was birthed from my own experience as a single mother in Louisiana. Many years ago, I found myself a single mom with two small children, muddling through life, attempting to figure out how to survive. Without deep family support, I often felt lonely, overwhelmed and scared. I learned much on that journey and wanted to help other single moms.
Our mission is to see that no single mom walks alone by working with churches to start single moms’ support groups and providing life skills education in parenting, finances and health and wellness.
It looks like The Life of a Single Mom extends beyond Baton Rouge. How many support groups do you have in other places, and what services do you offer?
We currently have 1,750 single moms’ support groups throughout the U.S. Our national services include hosting conferences and boot camps, enrolling mothers into our online life skills classroom, and launching support groups who are hosted primarily in churches.
Our local services here in Baton Rouge encompass the aforementioned but also extend to case management, counseling, diaper and product distribution, holiday outreaches, natural disaster support and some crisis management.
We see that you have a Single Mom University. Can you tell us more about what that is?
Single Mom University is an online life skills classroom that offers 175 pre-recorded classes on everything single mom-related, including parenting help, financial literacy coursework, overcoming abuse and trauma, time management, life-mapping and so much more. The courses are accessible 24-7, including access to a chat room for moms to connect with peers, and offers additional learning resources, so that moms can go as deep in a subject matter as they desire.
Parenting, finances and health and wellness seem to be three core areas in the organization. What are some examples of assistance that you offer in those areas?
The primary goal for our organization is education and connection. We want moms to forge relationships with their peers in their respective churches and communities to reduce isolation and promote mentoring.
Further, our groups and events exist to teach mothers how to parent from infancy to adulthood, manage their finances to increase wealth and overcome emotional obstacles. As a faith-based organization, we cloak all of this in a relationship with the Lord as the foundation.
What is the importance of this program for the individuals involved?
Since our inception 12 years ago, our clients report a 40% reduction in stress, a 98% satisfaction rating on our events, an increased confidence in parenting skills, and additional financial matrices, such as increased homeownership, decreased debt and increased financial literacy.
We teach moms that they aren’t alone and that they can raise their children in the way they should go. They have something to offer our community. They are not victims. They can achieve life goals. They can move beyond the obstacles that present themselves today. They have value.
How many people are currently involved?
In 2022, our organization served 11,392 Louisiana mothers and just under 200,000 mothers nationally.
If people are interested in joining, how can they? Are there any volunteer opportunities?
The easiest way for mothers to engage in our services is to visit our website at thelifeofasinglemom.com as there will be a list of upcoming events, information on how to enroll in Single Mom University, and a map that locates single mother support groups near them.
In addition, there is a contact form for specific questions.