Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Brown.
Hi Erica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started the organization in 2019 after enduring my hardships as a single mom. Being a full-time employee, and full-time student all while being a new mom to my infant at the time; The more I worked to better myself life seemed to get harder. My biggest battle was being able to find affordable quality childcare. At that time child care for an infant was between $200-300 weekly and paying for childcare and other household responsibilities became impossible to do with just my salary alone.
It had got to a point where I had to choose to pay for childcare or be late on rent payments. I reached out to local government agencies and was turned away because my salary was considered over poverty income levels; however; the reality of it all was that it wasn’t enough. This was the most difficult hardship I’ve dealt with as a single mom because you have to have childcare to go to work to support your family, but without a sufficient income, it is almost impossible. I and my son became homeless shortly after this and stayed in a shelter for single mothers.
During a couple of weeks staying there, they immediately had me fill out applications for childcare and food assistance. I explained to them that I had already attempted to do so and I was denied which is how I fell into hard times. I was told since my circumstances were different that they could not turn me down due to us being homeless. After landing a new job and leaving the homeless shelter I had childcare assistance in place but now they would only cover a portion of my childcare expenses because I would have more income coming in.
I learned that there are far more resources available to “low-income families” so to speak than those who are considered not. There are not enough resources for families who are TRYING, trying to stay afloat, trying to better themselves but are faced with these hardships, and sometimes may just need a helping hand. Mommy and Me were created to be a bridge gap for those families. To prevent homelessness and poverty and to alleviate the need for government assistance,
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, mainly because when I started the organization I still endured my hardships as a single mother. I hadn’t had any intentions of being an entrepreneur at this time, but I grew a passion and knew I had a purpose for starting the organization.
I had no experience or any idea of what would be needed to run a business let alone a nonprofit. However, I have learned so much during the last few years through trial and error and I believe now, Mommy and Me are in a growing phase where a lot of positive momentum will start to pick up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Mommy and Me are a nonprofit organized to empower, support and uplift single mothers to reach success. We tailor our resources to the needs of our families, assisting with childcare expenses, food/healthy nutrition, gas/transportation assistance, household necessities, rent/utilities, tuition assistance, and much more!
We are specifically aimed to help single mothers who don’t qualify for government assistance. Instead of just offering a temporary fix, we encourage and promote long-term self-sufficiency by offering our programs that range from 3-6 months depending on the needs of the families.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mam-cincinnati.org
- Instagram: @mommy_and_me_cincinnati
- Facebook: @singlemoms succeed
