b'as a springboard toward healthy flour-ishing. Often in partnership with local churches, we create communities for single moms to be seen, loved, and supported. We also provide tangible support including housing assistance, counseling, legal networking, meals, and additional services to fill the many gaps in the social services. Because we know we can only catch a small fraction of the women in need, our passion is to advocate on their behalf, to share their stories and chal-lenges, to reduce stigmas, and to share As champions for those on thesmall-group ministry, we witnessedinterventions that work. margins, how do those of us who servescores of divorces and had a front-row with rescue and support ministriesseat to the resulting devastation forEmilys struggles best care for Emily and so many othersmoms and their children. We watchedE ven after her relationship like her? Are her drifts and downwardeach womans desperate struggle toended, Emily suffered post-slides into mental illness and povertykeep her family moving forward in theseparation abuse as the power, inevitable, or are there effective inter- midst of numerous challenges andcontrol, and manipulation continued ventions? If no safety nets catch hertraumas. We dubbed these friendsregularly. With three kids, a teachers and she is welcomed into our care,mamas in the middlefinanciallysalary, a broken heart, and a wounded how can we best support and helpchallenged, yet not sitting below thesoul, where could she go from here? her back on a path to flourishing?poverty line so as to be eligible forShe battled deep bouts of depression Ultimately, how can we truly see her?traditional assistance and resources.that sometimes sucked the life out of Several years ago, my wife and IWe searched all over for a ministryher. There were days when simply car-launched a ministry along the Frontdesigned for just such a person ing for herself was too much. For a Range communities in Colorado tobut found nothing available. Thus,while, family and friends tried to help, ensure that every single mama feelsNot Alone Ministries was birthed.but, facing their own limited under-seen, loved, and supported. It is calledThe goal for Not Alone Ministriesstanding and resources, began to back Not Alone Ministries because so manyis to be an anchor in the storm, aaway. Slowly, as safety nets became of these precious women feel unseenplace of stability to stop the slideexhausted, our friend slid perilously and alone. In our previous 20 years oftoward poverty and, ideally, to actclose to the edge. What are your processes for welcoming a single mom and her children into your ministry? How are your scripts uniquely designed to communicate acceptance and welcome? How warm and relational is your frontline team? Will the mom immediately feel safe and seen?42 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024'