New York, NY (July 22, 2021)—Jeremiah Program (JP)—a national nonprofit with one of the most successful strategies for disrupting generational poverty among single mothers and their children—today unveiled its updated public policy framework. Designed to shift the national conversation around economic mobility for the most marginalized and overlooked, the public policy framework enhances and advances JP’s commitment to the collective work to support single mothers in transforming their families and communities by focusing on early childhood; student debt and workforce development.
“Generational poverty is a social justice issue, not an economic one—and, through our public policy efforts, we are committed to shifting the national conversation around the written and unwritten rules that feed systemic inequity in our families’ lives. Our strategy is centered around a deep belief that public policy is not neutral, it either includes or excludes. Our moms are in fact great moms, and they are uniquely positioned to not only author solutions for their families but also their communities–we need them at the table influencing the public policy agenda,” said Chastity Lord, President and CEO, Jeremiah Program.
In support of the new policy framework, Jeremiah Program is hosting two upcoming events:
- Friday, August 6: Reframing the Conversation: Racism, Classism & The Single Mom, featuring Chastity Lord and Nicole Lynn Lewis, author of Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College and Creating a Better Future for Young Families (2021). The two will discuss issues related to social justice, gender equity and disrupting generational poverty. Register for the event HERE.
- Thursday, September 9: The Feminization of Poverty, featuring Chastity Lord and Aisha Nyandoro, CEO of Springboard To Opportunities, home of Magnolia Trust, an initiative that provides low-income, Black mothers in Jackson, Mississippi universal income for 12 months straight. The two will discuss the systemic inequities that make economic mobility allusive for women, especially women experiencing poverty, and why money is important but not the independent solution. Register for the event HERE.
Jeremiah Program’s policy framework includes three prongs: early childhood and childcare; student parents and loan debt; and emerging workforce trends and reentering into the workforce. The framework ultimately serves and advances JP’s mission, which is to disrupt the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children, two generations at a time.
Shawntera Hardy, Founder of PolicyGrounds Consulting, who brings over 15 years of experience in public policy, is advising JP on the execution of these policy initiatives. Hardy’s experience includes serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, as well as serving as the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
JP believes that the impacts of poverty and systemic racism can be disrupted through a two-generation approach, investing in a single mother’s vision for her future and the education of her children.
About Jeremiah Program:
Jeremiah Program is a nonprofit organization that offers one of the nation’s most successful strategies to help families disrupt the cycle of poverty two generations at a time. Using a combination of quality early childhood education, childcare, a safe and affordable place to live, and empowerment and life skills training for single mothers attending college, the program has impacted the lives of more than 4,000+ single mothers and their children since it was founded 20 years ago. The organization currently serves over 600 single mothers and their young children at seven campuses across the country in Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Brooklyn, NY; Fargo, ND-Moorhead, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Rochester, MN; and St. Paul, MN.