The Life of a Single Mom Ministries by Jennifer Maggio

 Posted by Jennifer on November 2, 2011  General  No Responses »
Nov 022011
 

It is with great pleasure that I formally introduce to you — THE LIFE OF A SINGLE MOM MINISTRIES. Wow, what a journey this has been!  Many of you know my story and why I love what I do, but maybe you did not realize my life’s biggest passion.

67% of single parents in our country do not actively attend church.  There are 300,000+ Christian churches in the country and less than 1% do ANYTHING for single parents. That is a huge problem for me on many levels.  First, I was the broken, hurting single mom who did not attend church, because I felt like the church would judge me (and some did) and I did not feel like anyone could possibly understand how hard things were for me.  Second, as Christians, our hearts’ desire should be that EVERY person feel like they have a place to belong inside our church walls.  And last, I have seen first-hand the radical change that takes place in lives of single mothers who genuinely connect to their local church.

Today, I have the great honor of hosting one of the nations’ largest single mom support groups in a local church, where we started with only 3 moms (thanks to the generosity of Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana).  Through the years, I have seen our group grow to hundreds and we have unwed mothers, divorced moms, widowed moms, and those who are separated from their husbands.  I have seen young teen moms of fifteen get involved and divorcees in their fifties.  I have seen uneducated, educated, financially secure, and financially destitute — and everything in between — get involved and find a place to belong in our single moms’ group. Continue reading »

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How To Save Even More Money by Jennifer Maggio

 Posted by Jennifer on August 31, 2011  General  No Responses »
Aug 312011
 

Last week, I shared 5 tips on how to save money in your home.   Based on the positive response, I wanted to give you 5 more that I have found to be helpful.  I did financial counseling for 10 years in Corporate America and learned a great deal of proper money management.  What’s more, I walked away from a six-figure salary to walk into full-time volunteering a few years ago and had to become quite creative on how to make ends meet, until my business launched.  Here’s what I learned:

  1. Take advantage of coupons and rebates.  Couponing alone could become a full-time job and most of us do not have that type of time to dedicate to the task.  However, if you make even a minimal effort to research what grocery and discount stores in your area are running special coupon programs, you can literally save $100′s every month.  It is well worth an hour of your time per week.
  2. Learn about “Kids Eat Free” specials.  There are websites in almost every community that broadcast the daily kids-eat-free restaurants.  If you are going to eat out anyway, why not find the places that will allow you bring children for free? 
  3. Learn the art of the Crockpot Meal.  Admittedly, I have never been a great fan of cooking and only did so out of necessity.  I ate out quite a bit when my kids were younger and I am certain that I fed them far too many beanie-weenies.  A few years back, I dug out my slow-cooker from under the cabinet and committed to learn recipes.  There are hundreds of recipes to cook almost any kind of meat.  The neat thing is this — not only are you feeding your family a healthier meal and a significantly lower cost than eating out, it is an easy way to have a warm family meal together.
  4. Buy only used automobiles.  This is necessity.  Brand-new cars lose their value almost immediately.  Yet, we often pay for them for years.  Cars are made so efficiently today that almost any car is certain to last for years.  Purchase a car that is at least 24-36 months old and save dramatically on purchase price.
  5. Drive slower.  Simply but very true.  Faster speeds burn more gas.  With gas prices sky-rocketing upwards of $4.00 per gallon, you can save hundreds annually by simply going 5 miles slower per hour. 

    6. Continue reading »

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“If I Were your Daddy, This is What You’d Learn”

 Posted by Jennifer on July 20, 2011  General  No Responses »
Jul 202011
 

I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Julia Espey recently and learned about her book, “If I Were Your Daddy, This is What You’d Learn.”  The title is so intriguing I could not wait to get my hands on a copy.   I have had the opportunity now to review Julia’s book and all I can say is “Awesome, Relevant, and Useful!” 

Single moms, the most difficult part of being a single mom is the worry that comes with hoping your child does not lack certain skills due to the lack of a father in their lives.  As a fellow author, I am in awe of the amount of research Julia put forth in finding quality fathers who can provide a glimpse into their experiences as fathers.  While I may not necessarily agree with every piece of the  fathers’ advice in the book, I can appreciate their love for their children, which is so apparent.   I especially love the “Reaching Higher” part of the book, where she highlights Habitat for Humanity CEO, Jonathan Reckford, and others, as they share about the importance of serving others and serving God. 

I was on Julia’s radio show recently “Single Mom Talk”.  Check it out. Continue reading »

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