Richmond Outreach Center Celebrates Single Mothers and Their Accomplishments
CNN columnist Michele Weldon recently published an article encouraging people to praise the successes of single mothers. The Richmond Outreach Center sees many single mothers come through its doors and reaches out to them through a special ministry.
Online, June 3, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Despite what some people may believe, not all children raised only by their mother will end up on the streets dealing drugs, toting a gun or locked up behind bars, said Michele Weldon in a CNN news story. Nearly 20 million children are without fathers in America, but yet, those mothers were able to raise Olympians, comedians and U.S. presidents. Geronimo Aguilar was raised mostly by his mother and he is pastor of Richmond Outreach Center .
"Studies show that more and more children are being raised by single mothers," he said. "A majority of the children to whom we reach out are growing up in low-income, single-parent households. God gave me a heavy burden for single-parent families because for the most part, they are doing it all on their own."
Journal of Marriage and Family polled 1,134 single mothers and found that those who attended church were more likely to experience positive developmental outcomes for their children. Child Trends put out a report showing that single mothers who received emotional support had "children and adolescents who were also more likely to display social competence and school engagement," versus single mothers without any type of support group. Demography conducted a 2002 study and determined that teenagers residing with single mothers in multigenerational homes have the same or better outcome than teenagers being raised by married families.
Those statistics paint quite a different picture than often portrayed in movies and television shows. For example, "Modern Family" portrays Gloria as a single mother who needs financial and emotional rescue from a man. "Diary of a Single Mom" follows the life of three single mothers who seem to need each other just to survive. Richmond Outreach Center has seen the stigma often associated with single mothers. That's why the non-denominational church offers resources and opportunities for single mothers.
"We offer a ministry called S.M.U., which stands for Single Mothers University," Aguilar said. "Like many of our ministries, S.M.U. is hosted by someone who has overcome the same obstacles as them participating in the ministry."
Aguilar, of Richmond Outreach Center , praised Weldon for opening up about her experience as a single mother. "By sharing her story, and allowing single mothers an open forum to voice their struggles and hardships, they find unity through each other and in Christ to successfully rear their children without the help of a father in the home."
ABOUT:
The Richmond Outreach Center is a non-denominational church located in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 2001, the church welcomes all walks of life to enjoy the benefits of Christianity. The ministry has helped many individuals overcome issues through faith and a new sense of community. Richmond Outreach Center members encourage themselves and others to stay educated, treat others with kindness and spread the Christian faith. For more information, go to www.theroc.com.