Before Mom2Mom, Elle* didn’t have a lot of strong role models she could count on. “I lost my mom when I was 10, and then I lost my dad six years ago. So it’s been really really hard,” she says.
Elle had her son Austin when she was only 18, and struggled to keep a stable job while caring for him. Eventually, she was connected to Mom2Mom through Austin’s school.
“Mom2Mom heard what was going on and said, hey, this is too much, this mom needs support. She doesn’t have a mom, she just lost her dad; she doesn’t have any support at all,” she remembers.
Elle was paired with Pam, a Relationship Volunteer for Mom2Mom, and they’ve been meeting for about four years. In that time, Elle and Pam walked through a challenging time in Elle’s life when she broke her ankle. Bound to a wheelchair, Elle couldn’t work. Her income plummeted and her stability was shaken.
Pam was right by Elle’s side, taking her shopping, helping her recover lost income, and most of all, giving her a non-judgemental listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.
Having a good cry is something Elle and Pam do a lot of together. “We share the same birthday,” Elle explains. “And Pisces are the most emotional. We tear up easily. Sometimes when we’re talking about anything… I’m going to tear up right now. We love and care about each other a lot.”
“I listen and I give her positive feedback, whenever I can,” says Pam. “I tell her what a great job she’s doing no matter what the situation. I just try to champion her, and I think that’s what a mother does - they’re there to be somebody’s champion.”
For example, when Elle got a customer service job at Purdy’s after a string of short-term positions, her manager quickly saw her potential. But Elle wasn’t so sure she was up for the promotion. “[Elle] said, ‘I don’t think I could do that, but you know, you believe in me, and the manager at Purdy’s believes in me, so I guess I better believe in myself,’” Pam recalls. “And I thought that was just amazing: just a little bit of encouragement. She is such a smart and capable person.”
“It’s nice to get that nurturing presence in my life that I don’t get anywhere else. She supports me emotionally, just coaching me in life,” Elle says.
For Pam, it’s just a matter of showing love to Elle and Austin without conditions - just like a mother.
There’s nothing more empowering than when resilient women stand together and support one another through life’s challenges. Join us to improve the lives of children in poverty by supporting their moms.
*Names have been changed for privacy.