Our Mission
We empower single moms through holistic growth, including spiritual, educational, and personal development which fosters well-being and economic stability for their families through Christian mentoring and coordinated services.
Our Dedicated Staff
- Elisabeth Wilson, Program Director
Current Board Members
- Brent Jorgenson – President
- Janet Schneider – Vice President
- Deanna Samaraka – Treasurer
- Lynn West – Secretary
- Rachel Garant – Alumni Mom Representative
- Denise Ramsdale – Member at Large
- Joanne Mosier – Member at Large
- Cheryl Brunkow – Member at Large
- Esther Soria Mignanelli – Member at Large
Where it all began
The M.O.M.S. Program began as Home-In-Stead, a 501 C3 non-profit organization established in 1984 by John and Marlys Grimm. As long-time foster parents, and adoptive parents, their hearts’ desire was for children to be in long-term, stable, loving, Christian homes. The initial vision of Home-In-Stead was to be a support organization for foster parents, with a concentration on moving the Christian community into action, by providing more Christian foster homes for children in need. Home-In-Stead purchased a home and recruited foster parents to begin carrying out the vision.
In 1985, the federal government made drastic cuts in funding for foster placement. The result was that many children remained in dysfunctional home settings with county agencies providing in-home services. With the continuing heart and focus on the needs of children, Home-In-Stead shifted their focus from foster care to a Christian day care setting, based on a sliding fee scale so that it was accessible to low income families. This seemed the most natural way to help parents and children facing difficulty and instability in the home.
In 1986, the Home-In-Stead childcare center opened at Faith Covenant Church in Burnsville, MN. After 4 years in operation, two observations were made. First, the families using the center were primarily low-income, so funding continually diminished. The second, and probably more important observation, was that although the childcare setting was wonderful for the children, they were going back to the same stressful family setting each evening.
Attendance at daycare was sporadic for many single parent families . Children were not getting to daycare because of broken down cars, or other obstacles, that prevented the single moms from getting to work. The Board realized that by helping the moms, they could better help the children. Some of the childcare staff were already informally mentoring the single moms utilizing the center. This sparked an idea for a future program of Home-In-Stead.
Kathy (Dick) Swanson, who had been on the Board of Directors of Home-In-Stead since its inception, took on the charge of developing a mentoring program for low-income single moms to offer support and assistance in parenting, education, transportation, finances and spiritual matters.
The M.O.M.S. Program officially started in 1990, running in conjunction to the day care program until 1993, at which time the day care closed due to funding shortages. The M.O.M.S. Program continued to serve these families and connect them with other resources within the community.
Continuing the Vision
It is a biblical command to care for the widows and orphans. Single parents, along with their children, are the modern-day widows and orphans. It is in response to this mandate that the M.O.M.S. Program continues today, contributing to our community for over 30 years. While there are other programs that serve single moms, and other mentoring programs, we are unique. We serve single moms for up to five years, providing someone to walk beside them for the long run. We witness God changing the lives of single moms due to this unique combination of mentoring and program support.
Kathy (Dick) Swanson, founding Director, states that the key to success for the M.O.M.S. Program has been the individualization and flexibility in working with the moms, the long-term nature of the program, and the incredible service and love of the mentors. Throughout the years, women, couples, and families have been called to mentor by God. Each mom has individual goals which they develop and work with their mentors to achieve. Single moms learn and experience what is Godly and healthy through these mentoring relationships.
The M.O.M.S. Program has expanded to include Scott County and we desire to have mentors representing multiple churches South of the River. We’ve been greatly blessed by the generosity of Faith Covenant Church, Faith in Christ Fellowship, Restoration Covenant, and Shepherd of the Valley, numerous individual donors and volunteers throughout the years.
We work to equip single mothers so they can build and maintain healthy, stable homes for their children. We work to break the cycles of generational poverty, abuse, addiction and other dysfunction that may have led to their situation. We mentor to strengthen the next generation.
By investing in the life of a single mother today, we are building a brighter tomorrow for their children.