WHEN MOMS THRIVE,
KIDS THRIVE
Because of Mom, Kids Will Achieve Their Dreams
Tatiana Bolton is raising her son Josiah with the childhood she wished she had.
When she was growing up, Tatiana was familiar with feeling hungry due to her family’s unstable living conditions. But with support from No Kid Hungry and our partner New Moms, she is helping Josiah have what every mom wants for their kids: a full belly, a safe home and a bright future.
Moms like Tatiana are leaders: making family decisions, strengthening communities, and shaping futures. This Mother’s Day, No Kid Hungry celebrates all the moms who work hard to ensure their kids have the meals they need.
Hunger doesn’t happen in isolation. The rising cost of food, limited childcare options and low wages make it difficult for many mothers to make ends meet. That’s why we’re supporting moms with access to affordable food and flexible childcare, and boosting their income and skills.
This is a key part of how we’ll end child hunger in America, for good. Because when moms thrive, kids thrive.
93
of moms say they make sacrifices so their children can thrive*
*Results from a new nationwide poll conducted by Aspect Strategic on behalf of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign
Our Work Supporting Moms
At No Kid Hungry, our work has long focused on supporting programs that ensure kids have access to the meals they need. By supporting school and summer meals and programs like SNAP, we have strengthened essential lifelines for millions of children living with hunger.
We also know that hunger is not an isolated issue. It is connected to low wages, high costs of living and other barriers that make it hard for families, especially moms, to get ahead.
That’s why we launched an effort to advance economic mobility for moms in 2022. Building on years of experience and the success of the No Kid Hungry campaign, we partnered with 17 organizations nationwide to help us invest in key solutions designed to boost incomes and create lasting stability for moms and their kids.
Meet the Moms Feeding the Future
The stories featured here highlight the experiences of three mothers we met through our partner New Moms, which serves a majority Black community of young mothers in Chicago. Their perspectives are unique and important, and they represent a snapshot of a much broader reality; the single moms we support come from all racial and ethnic backgrounds across the United States, facing many of the same economic challenges.
Tatiana: Giving Her Son a Better Childhood Than Hers
Tatiana, a young mom in her 20’s, participated in a 16 week program hosted by the non-profit New Moms in Chicago, funded with support from No Kid Hungry. The program provides professional development, academic support and social networks for young mothers so they can build careers while caring for their family.
Growing up, Tatiana had to figure out a lot of things on her own. Her mom single mom did not have access to a resource like New Moms. At times her mom lost custody of Tatiana and her six siblings because of the barriers she faced as a single mom with no support networks. Without a stable provider, Tatiana and her siblings experienced periods of inconsistent housing and hunger.
"If this program was around for my mom, I feel like that would eliminate a lot of childhood trauma and stuff like that for me.”
“My mom wasn’t really home, and my older sister had to watch us,” Tatiana said, explaining her sibling and her stayed home by themselves. “We had to basically fend for (ourselves) for a little bit…We was playing restaurant, but the only food we had was mashed potatoes.”
Tatiana believes that if programs like New Moms were around when her mom raised her and her siblings, it would have eliminated a lot of the trauma she experienced growing up.
New Moms assigned Tatiana two coaches to connect her to resources for her son Josiah and herself. They helped secure baby essentials and daycare, on-site SNAP renewal, professional attire, financial assistance, skills certifications and enrollment into Malcom X College’s CNA program.
"No Kid Hungry, I feel like that's the best thing because you helping us, we helping them"
While enrolled in the program, Tatiana also worked at Bright Endeavors; a small business run by New Moms that produces artisanal scented candles. She was the head of the shipping department and managed candle inventory and quality control. This job experience was extremely useful for Tatiana because the combined work and coaching allowed her to save money, which leaves her and Josiah in a better position for the future. She currently deposits one third of her checks into her savings account and uses the rest to make sure Josiah has the food, clothes and other resources he needs to grow and thrive.
Tatiana uses the dream of creating a better childhood than hers for her son as inspiration to continue to pursue her career.
Tatiana’s journey is powerful but not unique.
"You giving me a fresh start. You giving my child a fresh start."
Mariah: “I Want Him to Live a Long Time”
When asked about the dreams for her 10-month-old son Messiah, Mariah’s answer is simple, but it reveals the challenges of the community where she grew up in Chicago.
“The dreams I have for my baby, I want him to live a long time,” she said. “He’s an African-American boy, so I want him to make it and outlive me, and I want him to be like a gentleman. Because the community that I live in and where I grew up, and what I grew up around, kids die very young.”
Mariah was the first person in her family to go to college. She received scholarships and spent her days working and studying. But her college experience became challenging when she lost a cousin and got out of a difficult relationship. She couldn’t focus on school and dropped out.
She became pregnant and experienced a period of housing insecurity soon after, which placed additional strain on her mental health. Mariah found New Moms during this difficult moment and the support she received changed her outlook on life.
“Before I joined New Moms, my life was depressing,” she shared. “After I joined New Moms, my life, it just took a turn. My mindset, it just basically prepared me for the future. I feel like I have no worries about what’s going to happen next for me and my baby.”
Mariah found a new family and new opportunities in the New Moms community. She also got a job leading the quality control department at Bright Endeavors.
She is now getting ready to go back to school for nursing. With coaching, parent support groups and a stable routine, Mariah can build a successful career to ensure Messiah grows up in a safe and supportive home.
“If the mom’s good, then that means the kid is going to be good because the mom is basically the leader of the baby,” she said.
Deziyah: Finding a Peaceful Place for Her Kid
Even becoming pregnant at an early age, Deziyah never lacked any parenting confidence. “It was smooth. I just love motherhood. It kind of made a woman out of me,” she said.
But it wasn’t always easy. Deziyah had to sleep in the living room in a crammed house with her family when she first came home with her baby. The lack of privacy in her home made it hard for her to breastfeed and pump. It wasn’t the right environment for her and her daughter A’Zhani, but she couldn’t leave because it would have been impossible for her to afford housing and food.
New Moms offered her the opportunity to get her own place – something she couldn’t even dream of when she started her journey into motherhood : her own place. She is now building her career, working and making money to bring home to A’Zhani every day.
“We shouldn’t have to worry about what our kids (are) going to eat tonight if we’re running out of food, and they don’t have enough nutrients,” Deziyah said.
When moms thrive, kids thrive
Because of Tatiana, Josiah will never have to face hunger.
Because of Mariah, Messiah will grow up knowing emotional safety.
Because of Deziyah, A’Zhani will grow up in a stable home.
When we support moms with childcare, housing, coaching and nutrition assistance, their children don’t just eat today, they thrive tomorrow.
That is how we move closer to ending hunger, today, tomorrow and for future generations.
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