Back to School
It’s our annual Back to School campaign, and we need your help to raise $50,000 to invest in the educational goals of young moms! New Moms is all about seeing young families thrive. This year we want to highlight Kamilah’s story! Like many young moms at New Moms, Kamilah is taking powerful steps to advance her education. By making this investment in herself, she is transforming her son’s future. Here are a few reasons why:
- A parent’s educational level is a strong indicator of their children’s long-term educational success.
- A young mom with an Associate or Bachelor degree is 45% and 67% respectively less likely to experience poverty.
- And the confidence a parent brings to her family when she has a degree, is financially stable, and more connected to her community creates an environment where her children are more likely to thrive!
Kamilah & Hugo
“Every day you wake up with your son or your daughter and they are smiling at you. And it kind of gives you some hope. You just want to do everything you can for them. So just don’t give up on what you want.”
Kamilah is excited about her future! She graduated from high school in June and will be starting at Truman College this fall.
Kamilah partnered with New Moms when she was four months pregnant with her son, Hugo. Becoming a mom changed her life for the better, and she reflects that “New Moms has really helped in a lot of ways.” She was paired with a New Moms doula (or birth coach) to help her through the final stages of her pregnancy. Simultaneously, Kamilah started working with Precious, a Family Support coach, to help her in other areas of life. Precious has become like family.
“We created a bond with her,” said Kamilah, about her coach. “She makes sure the baby is developed. She brings books, diapers, and everything to make sure that we have enough.”
Precious helps Kamilah to keep on track in school – checking in on her grades and helping her find opportunities to complete her service hour requirement for graduation. Precious also supported Kamilah in completing her FAFSA, so she could afford to go to college. Kamilah was excited to be awarded two scholarships, which will help in her plan to take cosmetology classes so she can open her own salon!
Kamilah’s pursuit of a degree is an example of how she is leading her family into a thriving future. Every step Kamilah takes to invest in her future is an investment in Hugo’s future. This is the beautiful, generational work that New Moms helps to make possible.
With the support of the New Moms team, Kamilah does not have to navigate the challenges of parenting alone in these critical, formative moments of their life. She has resources and support to pursue her dreams.
Kamilah is on a journey to build a strong foundation for her family, motivated by the future she can create for Hugo.
Kick off this school year with a gift to New Moms today and help us raise $50,000 by September 30 to ensure that young moms, like Kamilah, have the support they need to accomplish their educational goals and help their families thrive!