Nonprofit helps Atlanta single parents handle expenses while pursuing their college degree
By Alexa Liacko
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ATLANTA (WUPA) — Census data show there are more single parents in Georgia than in most U.S. states, and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research finds that the majority of these parents are single mothers in college.
Many of these women are struggling to pay for their education and their bills.
To help with the burden, a metro Atlanta organization is helping single parents finish school by offering much more than help with their tuition.
Helping Atlanta single parents stay afloat
Susan Jaeskce has two full-time jobs.
“My shift starts at 12. I work from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.. On the days that I’m not working. I leave the house around 3:15 and I pick the kids up,” Jaeskce said.
She’s a mom to her twin fourth graders as well as an ER nurse.
“It’s busy. It’s very busy. It’s very, very busy,” she said.
Susan Jaeskce almost had to quit her education, but was able to become a nurse thanks to the help from H.O.P.E. Inc.
She’s grateful for the chaos at home because two years ago, things were different. She had been laid off from her marketing job during the pandemic. She decided to go back to school, but almost had to quit.
“I had nothing, no money,” Jaescke recalled. “I, my parents had cosigned on a massive student loan to like, help cover expenses.”
Still, she was coming up short.
“I was applying to all these scholarships that kept getting denied, and I was desperate. I was going to the food pantry for food because, you know, I was feeding my kids over, feeding myself,” she said.
That’s when Jaescke found H.O.P.E. Inc., a nonprofit in Atlanta helping single parents stay in school and stay afloat. The program gives parents up to $800 monthly for rent and childcare expenses. Any single parent who is pursuing a two or four-year degree can apply for help.
Their team also gives families financial counseling, offers tutors for their children, and helps with transportation.
The mission behind H.O.P.E. Inc.
Kenita Smith founded the nonprofit as a single mom after realizing that it takes much more than tuition.
“When parents, especially single parents, or just people in general, aren’t able to complete their college degree, it really does not break the cycle of poverty. It continues to weigh on the economy because these individuals will need to get assistance somehow,” Smith said. “So it’s just a ripple effect.”
Kenita Smith founded H.O.P.E. Inc. as a single mom to help others break out of the cycle of proverty.
Smith said parents working with H.O.P.E. Inc. have increased their income by an average of $44,000, because degrees open doors to higher-paying jobs.
“We’re not just talking about one household, but we’re talking about how this impacts a whole entire community,” she said.
The nonprofit funds its work through donors and grants.
For Jaescke, the support created a second chance she never thought was possible.
“My credit score’s over 800. It wasn’t like that when I first started,” she said. “I am now showing my kids that they can do anything, no matter how difficult the situation is. You might not have two pennies to rub together, but there’s always a little bit of hope that you can find.”
For this mom, that is a dream much bigger than a degree.
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