A scholarship for a SMART cookie
According to Statistics Canada, there were almost 14,280 single parents living in London in 2006. Approximately 84 per cent of those people were women.
Single Women In Motherhood is a local non-profit organization aimed at helping London's single moms connect with others and find support.
"We support single moms by encouraging their self-esteem, helping them find a direction (in life) and running support groups," explained SWIM founder Ann Marie Ricketts.
SWIM runs several programs, including Let's Talk About It sessions in which participants share stories and talk about the experience of being a single mother; life skills and life coaching programs; and the Golden Connection Pal program, which sets women up with mentors to create a support system. The organization also runs a monthly childcare program, in order to give single mothers some time for themselves, explained Ricketts.
Pallavi Sthalekar, an intern at SWIM, said the programming is meant to "empower single mothers to control their destiny by working towards developing their full financial, emotional, personal and intellectual potential. SWIM focuses on enriching the lives of the whole family through accountability, responsibility and a positive approach to our training programs."
On March 20, SWIM will be holding a breakfast event to introduce a new scholarship, Strong Mothers Achieving Remarkable Triumph. The scholarship will help a strong mother in the community reach her educational goals. Ricketts acknowledged that it can be challenging for some mothers to go back to school, and "every little bit helps."
The exact amount of the scholarship has not yet been announced, as funds are still being raised.
The stars will shine brightly at the event, emceed by Lianne Young of Fresh FM. Amber Marshall, star of CBC's Heartland, and Shomari Williams, a CFL star raised by a single mom, will make appearances to show their support.
Marshall and Williams were chosen not only because they are well-known Canadians, but because "they were just perfect for our cause and on top of that they felt for the cause deeply," according to Sthalekar.
The event will also feature a special Women In Careers show to inspire future generations of women, said Ricketts. "Women have broken through (job sectors) like the police force, the fire service, the ambulance drivers. We're looking at some of the areas that were very male-dominated and now there are women working in the community."
The event on March 20 begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m. at the London Hilton located at 300 King St. The cost is $45 to enter, and all proceeds will go towards SWIM.
Single Women In Motherhood is a local non-profit organization aimed at helping London's single moms connect with others and find support.
"We support single moms by encouraging their self-esteem, helping them find a direction (in life) and running support groups," explained SWIM founder Ann Marie Ricketts.
SWIM runs several programs, including Let's Talk About It sessions in which participants share stories and talk about the experience of being a single mother; life skills and life coaching programs; and the Golden Connection Pal program, which sets women up with mentors to create a support system. The organization also runs a monthly childcare program, in order to give single mothers some time for themselves, explained Ricketts.
Pallavi Sthalekar, an intern at SWIM, said the programming is meant to "empower single mothers to control their destiny by working towards developing their full financial, emotional, personal and intellectual potential. SWIM focuses on enriching the lives of the whole family through accountability, responsibility and a positive approach to our training programs."
On March 20, SWIM will be holding a breakfast event to introduce a new scholarship, Strong Mothers Achieving Remarkable Triumph. The scholarship will help a strong mother in the community reach her educational goals. Ricketts acknowledged that it can be challenging for some mothers to go back to school, and "every little bit helps."
The exact amount of the scholarship has not yet been announced, as funds are still being raised.
The stars will shine brightly at the event, emceed by Lianne Young of Fresh FM. Amber Marshall, star of CBC's Heartland, and Shomari Williams, a CFL star raised by a single mom, will make appearances to show their support.
Marshall and Williams were chosen not only because they are well-known Canadians, but because "they were just perfect for our cause and on top of that they felt for the cause deeply," according to Sthalekar.
The event will also feature a special Women In Careers show to inspire future generations of women, said Ricketts. "Women have broken through (job sectors) like the police force, the fire service, the ambulance drivers. We're looking at some of the areas that were very male-dominated and now there are women working in the community."
The event on March 20 begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m. at the London Hilton located at 300 King St. The cost is $45 to enter, and all proceeds will go towards SWIM.
