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Single parents look for outside support to get through day-to-day.
Finding joy
At Fair Havens, Dean said her 4-year-old and 1-year-old have finally landed in a place they love as she's able to spend time with them playing outside during the evening.
Cooper said the support of her church and its activities for her young kids have helped get them through the last year they've been ready to question why dad's not around anymore.
Church support is one way to "celebrate" these single-parent families when society often doesn't, said Burke Brack, singles minister at Golf Course Road Church of Christ.
The church helps take singles and their children to a camp every summer where they get an affordable vacation and a chance to talk with people going through the same things.
It's conversations like these that help Guy McKenzie know he's doing an OK job with his 17-year-old daughter, who he said he's often a little protective of since he knows what's going through teenage boy's minds.
"It's really good to have the insight of other singles," he said. "To know that things are just normal and not so out of whack."
Since Green knows she doesn't always have the time or resources to do anything extra with her kids, she's enrolled both in Big Brothers Big Sisters where they get to participate in a variety of activities and talk with someone else about everything from gymnastics to more serious things they might have asked their dad.
"They want two parents in their home," Green said. But, since that isn't the case, the support of other adults has been a great release.
Tisdale said these mentors are meant to give kids like the Greens some extra attention and show them life isn't always serious -- a sentiment many single-parent families can't always make a reality.
Trying to do that, though, and taking time for self-maintenance is something Hagler said single parents have to learn.
"Nothing is ever done," Hagler said. "You just learn to go to bed knowing there's dirty dishes in the sink."
Some resources for single-parent families:
- First Baptist Church offers divorce care and other programs for single parents and their kids. For more information contact Minister with singles David Nobles at 683-0611.
- Helping Hands, 699-4900 distributes food weekly and offers assistance with rent, utilities, medical expenses and other things.
- West Texas Opportunities, 685-8311, is currently distributing free diapers and baby wipes as well giving assistance with utilities and other necessities.
- St. Vincent de Paul Ministries, 684-3887, opens its food pantry each Saturday morning and offers short-term assistance with rent, utilities and other things.
- Casa de Amigos, 682-9701, offers health and dental services, education and social services for families with essential needs.
- Midland Fair Havens, 689-3411, serves single mothers who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless and aims to equip them for self-sufficient living.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters, 687-0195, provides mentors for children missing a parent. They are currently seeking volunteers, especially men as most of the requests for pairings come for young boys.
- Golf Course Road Church of Christ has a singles ministry and helps take families to single-parent camp each summer. Contact Burke Brack for more information at 694-8836.
- MidCities Community Church has several small groups, community service and other activities for singles. Contact Associate Pastor of adult ministries Tom Vermillion for more information at 522-1330.
- Crossroads Church is hosting a conference for Single adults June 13-14. Visit http://www.crossroadsodessa.com/ for more information.
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Post in My West Texas
Kathleen Thurber
Kathleen Thurber can be reached at kthurber@mrt.com.
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