Program helps single moms succeed in jobs

Picture a single mother of four supporting her young family on only $20,000 a year.

This scenario is not uncommon in Utah where there are 44,000 single mothers — 40 percent of them living in poverty, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

With the help of People Helping People many of these single moms are able to work their way out of poverty into better employment. PHP strives to help low-income single moms and women build a better life for themselves and their children through long-term employment.

Linda Ivie, a volunteer coach for PHP, knows many women who fall in that 40 percent poverty statistic. She coaches them on a weekly basis.

"The No. 1 way we help them is giving them confidence," Ivie said, noting giving women confidence in their own abilities is the biggest hurdle for them to overcome. "What I hear over and over again with women coming into this program is how (they feel they) can't do this."

Kayleen Simmons, founder and executive director of PHP, says organization offers long-term, one-on-one training to help single moms develop employment tools, build self-confidence, identify resources and create support to earn an adequate income.

The program was established in 1993 as a mentoring program for single mothers. Since then, the program has provided direct services to more than 1,600 women and outreach to thousands more, with the help of more than 1,000 volunteers, according to PHP's Web site.

Over the years, Simmons discovered that the person who has the best chance at succeeding in the program is the working poor. "The person, who is making $7 to $8 an hour, has 2.2 kids and has been in the hole every month," Simmons explained.

PHP outreaches to more than 1,000 single moms a year, with 200-300 of them participating in PHP's education program, which includes a variety of workshops from resume writing to career building, Simmons said.

Approximately 75 women a year who participate in the workshops begin one-on-one work with mentors and coaches.

Mentor volunteers must be women who have been successful in employment, Simmons said.

Nicky Sharp, 59, a mother of three, grandmother of seven and an accounting associate at Simpson and Co., a CPA firm, has served as a mentor since August. Before Sharp's husband died three years ago, she was very active in the community, but she was unable to continue that community work after his death, Sharp said.