Remember the Game “Would You Rather?”
JP President and CEO Chastity Lord explains how JP partners with families to expand the list of perceived choices available to them.
Our perceived choices serve as the canvas on which we author our dreams. There was a childhood game you may remember called “Would You Rather?” It framed choices as binary — choosing both wasn’t an option.
JP seeks to add to the list of perceived choices and soften the binary for a JP mom. She can return to school, even part time – going as fast as she can but as slow as she must. She can chart a career, with the goal of economic mobility for herself and her children. She can ensure her child has access to academic tutoring, summer camp experiences, and quality childcare because their joy is paramount.
At JP, we believe great parents will always invest in their children — and a JP mom is no different. Unfortunately, the structures and supports for single moms with small children in pursuit of economic mobility are vastly different. One might say they do not exist.
We aren’t naïve. We understand the inherent tension that comes with parenting, especially for single moms living at the financial margins. We also know how important it is to disrupt the false “Would You Rather?” messaging that has been imposed on many of our JP moms — and frankly women in general — regarding their perceived choices.
I guess you could say JP is creating a new game called “What Is Necessary?” The answers drive our work and our desire to re-author the written and unwritten rules that feed generational poverty.
Chastity Lord is the President and CEO of Jeremiah Program.
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