Jeremiah Program celebrates 25 years of helping single mothers achieve education goals
MINNEAPOLIS -- It's a double congratulations for a group of Twin Cities families, as the kids and their moms are graduating simultaneously. That's thanks in part to a unique approach that is stopping the poverty cycle and starting some big dreams.
Carisha Thomas and her 4-year-old son Cayden are a dynamic duo.
"He is the most loving child, he is so caring and compassionate," Thomas said.
She's pretty compassionate herself. Thomas is a single mother who grew up on the island of Grenada and moved to Minnesota in hopes of going to school.
"I was like you know what, as hard as it's gonna be, if I don't do it now it's not gonna happen. I knew if I wanted a really good life for my son, I had to make that move," she said.
She started going to MCTC, learning just how hard it can be for a full-time student to find stable housing and reliable daycare. Then, a friend told her about the Jeremiah Program, and it was a fit.
"I think the Jeremiah Program is filling a lot of gaps that exist in Minneapolis communities," she said. "And the Jeremiah Program really helps you to focus on your goals, help you accomplish those goals, and help you get to really stay on track," she said.
They do that by providing apartments for mothers just a walk away from MCTC, providing educational daycare for the kids and counseling by family coaches.
Patty Healy Janssen is executive director for Jeremiah Program Minneapolis. She explains what makes it so unique.
"It is the two-generation approach through education -- so college education for the moms, and early childhood education to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond," Janssen said.
Thomas says it's been the right fit.
"It really allows me to say, 'Hey, I'm not the only person going through this,'" she said. "And that is really what the Jeremiah Program provides. It's really a sisterhood. It's a community of moms and kids that are going through the same struggles but are pushing on and striving to reach goals...I have gotten a degree in business management as well as liberal arts within the time that I have been in Jeremiah Program, and next up for me is to eventually get my master's."
And she is among good company, as two by two they conquer the world.
The Jeremiah Program started in Minneapolis and is now in nine cities, from Austin to Brooklyn to Baltimore. They are celebrating their 25th anniversary this week with an open house on Thursday in Minneapolis. Click here for ticket information.
