Sacramento Non-Profit Aims To Help Single Moms During Holidays

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Single moms were being celebrated in a special way during a difficult time of year.

The holidays, while happy, can also be a struggle. That's why non-profit Single Mom Strong kicked off the season putting single parents and their families first.

They're supporting more single-parent-led families this holiday season than ever before.

A plump and perfect pumpkin is just not easy to lift for five-year-old Julio, but you can bet Mom always has his back, and now Kassandra Martinez has her own support system in Single Mom Strong.

"When they say they're a village, it's true," Martinez said. "And the village becomes family."

A single mom, Martinez transitioned out of the military and decided to go into the medical field in the middle of a pandemic.

"And through all of those steps and different stages of my life, they supported Julio in every way they could. They supported me," she said.

Founder Tara Taylor kicked it up a notch during the holidays, using their fall festival as a time to launch their holiday Adopt A Family program, where single moms can be selected to get a holiday meal and special gifts for themselves and their children.

"We really select families based on story. We want our Moms to tell us why are you having a hard time this year? What are you doing to lift yourself up and how can we help lift you up?" Taylor said.

Free pumpkin picking is just the beginning for moms like Martinez. One donor committed to supporting 200 single-mom-led families.

"We think life is about celebrating. We also recognize that in a single-parent household, it's a little hard to celebrate," Taylor said. "You know holidays can be really challenging when you have a single-income budget."

"It makes me feel less alone like I can handle this, I can do it," Martinez said. "And they have supported me through a lot."

Single-mom-led families will be adopted based on the story they share and their needs. You can register to participate or see how you can help online.

"We just know the importance of community and connection and that's what single mom strong is all about," Taylor said.