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On the heels of reaching one million single mothers across the nation, The Life of a Single Mom® CEO Jennifer Maggio has seen firsthand that many economic and social issues can be linked to fatherlessness. Nearly half a million children in Louisiana are currently being raised by single parents, and $80 billion in welfare assistance is being paid annually to the country’s approximately 22 million single parents.
Tragically, the 2020 U.S. Census shows that children from fatherless homes are five times more likely to die by suicide, 10 times more likely to drop out of high school, and 32 times more likely to be incarcerated—affecting those families as well as their communities and places of work.
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: Jennifer Maggio, CEO; Kedra Preston, Branding & Communications Manager; Jennifer Cook, Accounting Manager; Crystal Thibodeaux, Programs Manager;
Melissa Lawson, Relationship & Funds Development ManagerPhone: 225.341.8055
Address: 12015 Justice Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Website: thelifeofasinglemom.com
“Fatherlessness impacts our community and our state. It is our goal to find solutions for these families,” says Maggio. “Many single mothers in our program are the hardest working women we know, shattering glass ceilings and achieving unprecedented successes.”
Recognizing the complex and multifaceted obstacles facing these families, The Life of a Single Mom focuses on long-term life change via a holistic and comprehensive approach, working with single mothers to determine the root causes hindering families’ success, then determining how to address them.
“Moms may call us in crisis because their light bills need to be paid or their spouse just died,” says Maggio. “It is our job to help stabilize families through our programs and assess the other issues that immediate crises may be interdependent on. We offer steps for single moms to succeed beyond current crises, but we’d be setting moms up to fail if we didn’t also offer long-term tools.”
Once an impoverished single mother of two, Maggio understands the uphill battle of lacking a plan and feeling overwhelmed. She began serving single mothers in 1999 with words of encouragement and acts of kindness, and by 2007 had started a support group through a local church. What’s known today as The Life of a Single Mom officially opened its doors in Baton Rouge in 2011 and through donor generosity now has 1,750 existing support groups nationwide that create villages for mothers, connect them with mentors, help develop life skills, and increase networking opportunities.
Single Mom University® is an additional resource offered to moms by the organization. Its online portal boasts 175 pre-recorded video lectures in the areas of parenting, finances, and emotional wellness.
“My success in single motherhood and eventually corporate America is due to a series of helping hands sent by God along various periods in my journey. I’m grateful for the Baton Rouge community and investors who recognize that addressing the issue helps us all,” says Maggio.
The organization’s social media channels have topped 40,000 followers, with 20,000+ people receiving one or more of its newsletters. With a reputation for being a good steward of donations, the largest single mom-centric organization in the state holds a platinum Guidestar Exchange seal.
Maggio invites interested business leaders to attend their annual luncheon at the Crowne Plaza on May 11, where impacts and achievements from the past year will be highlighted and plans for the coming year will be unveiled.
“It’s important that our donors know that their investments don’t just pay a one-time bill; they impact life changes,” says Maggio. “With 22 million single moms nationwide, we welcome any partners interested in helping us meet families where they are to offer hope and a strategy to propel them into success.”
FROM THE CEO
In 1999, when I was huddled on a bathroom floor as a struggling single mom, I had no way of knowing that the pain would one day be used to encourage others. The challenges faced and the lessons learned birthed a national organization that has now served one million single mothers around the country. It’s not by accident that we’re headquartered here in Louisiana, a mission field ripe with challenges and complexities. Twelve thousand Louisiana moms were served in 2022 alone. But there is much work to be done. I’m grateful for the staff, volunteers, donors, and businesses that support the necessary work.
JENNIFER MAGGIO, CEO
