AASM-2020-Membership-Overview

Founded November 2017 with the inspired heart-centered desire to gift a few working single moms in Northeastern Pennsylvania at Christmas so she had presents, especially for her under the tree.

Now, nearly five years later with loads of community support and encouragement, having reached thousands of single moms and supporters around the world - we are on a mission to provide unique support to empower and uplift working single moms living in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.

We are also your voice of advocacy for awareness and change.

Never before has there been a space created especially for the working single mom. We are a grassroots volunteer organization that is lead by working single moms.

We are here to walk beside you. To give you an inspirational push when needed. To keep you engaged and connected to a group of women who 'get it'.

We are your place for amazing connection, community, compassion, conversation and collaboration.

We have resources and a built in support system to inspire, guide, empower, and support your personal and professional growth.

We a place of non-judgement. A place for meaningful relationship connections. A grounded, uplifting supportive space. A place we are united to collectively thrive.

A place EVERY single mom needs regardless of where she is on her journey.

I'm Donna Nelson, Founder and Working Single Mom

It is from my lived experience as a single mom and my professional work as a Holistic Empowerment Coach that inspired me to create a space for the underserved, under recognized and often under resourced segment of our community - the working single mom in the gap. If you have been longing for a place to belong that fits your life as a single mom who works, I promise we are your place. If you've been looking a place to be heard and make a contribution surrounded by women who get it...we are your people. It's everything you need. It's everything you've been missing to feel whole, included and connected.

We want you to be part of our movement. We want to give you everything you need to be empowered to thrive both personally and professionally.

I hope you will join us! ❤

OUR MISSION is to create a movement providing direct support to empower working single moms of NEPA and beyond filling the gaps with a network of sustainable resources and support to enhance their quality of life so they can be the best version of themselves to thrive as moms and women of our community.

We are doing this through community engagement, comprehensive mentorship programming to fill the gaps on real-world challenges of personal well-being, finances, relationships, career advancement, and social and emotional enrichment experiences, and so much more for both mom and children throughout the year.

You lack a meaningful support system
You often feel like you are an island to yourself
You feel under valued and under appreciated even by your own family and friends
You struggle staying motivated
You're exhausted and tired of doing it alone
You need a fun gathering place to feel included with other women who 'get it'
You want a place that is positive and will help you be your best self
You want mentorship, wisdom and guidance from others who have lived the journey
You would love to be part of a sisterhood to share in your journey
You desire to be part of a village to contribute, learn, grow and thrive

We know from our research that as a working single mom there are gaps in support. Being a working single mom is unique and truly only those who have lived it can understand, relate and support others in a meaningful way.

The most prevalent gap of single moms is lacking an adequate and meaningful support system for social and emotional support with many often feeling isolated, lonely and unsupported. They are the one's who often lack the financial resources to get through a financial hardship of unexpected expenses and loss. Yet she makes too much money to receive financial assistance from community and government funded subsidy programs to help bridge the gaps.

She's the mom in the middle that in our society is under recognized, under valued, and under resourced.

WE ARE HERE TO FILL THOSE GAPS.

ADDITIONAL MEMBER EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS INCLUDE

Happy Birthday Wishes text on your special day 🎂
Letters of recommendation for employment and scholarships
Discount on our brand merchandise
Special discounts for products, services, and events
Invitation only experiences
Document review and support completing forms to understand process and terminology
Connect to resources and help navigating the process

ORGANIZATION GIVEBACK

Our pay-it-forward promise allows all members the opportunity to fully engage in the cycle of abundance by both giving and receiving within the organization.

All members commit to a pay-it-forward promise of 10 hours equivalent to a year of service time and fundraising to support the outreach and growth of the AASM community as a way of personally growing and supporting and mentoring other single moms along the way.

SUPPORT & PROGRAMS FOR NON-MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OFFERED IN 2023

Annual Regional Community Resource Vendor & Dinner Event FREE [Value $120]
Annual Christmas Gift Drive (Local Residents Only) [Value $100]
Single M.O.M.S. Daily Inspiration Text Hotline FREE [Value PRICELESS]
Single Moms Night Out Social $20 per event for non-members [Minimum Value $20]

Can I still be a member if I live outside of Northeastern Pennsylvania? Yes. We have a virtual-only option that is open to working single moms regardless of where you live in the United States. This allows you to be part of an exclusive working single mom's private community. Access to all our virtual training and events. And participate in our virtual members-only giveaways. On the list of membership offerings, this is the Blooming Momma level.

What can I expect when I become a member? Once members are accepted, you are added to our Private members-only online community. You will need to download the group app to get access. Soon after your membership application is accepted members from our team will be reaching out to you to answer questions, let you know what's coming up, and see where there are gaps you may need any kind of support right away that we can help guide you to. Regular updates are posted on our Facebook page and in the private members' group as well as sent via email and/or text. It will be up to you to stay in the loop and join us where and when it best fits.

If I'm a single grandmother/aunt/foster mom, etc. Is this for me? Yes, we know and understand that a single woman raising children is not always the biological mother. We are grandmothers, aunts, family friends, foster moms, and others. While the majority of working single moms are the biological mother of her children we invite and encourage all working single moms to join us regardless of how you got there. We want to support you, learn from you, and provide a place for you to fit in, connect, join the conversation and grow.

I'm a single mom living in NEPA but I don't work; can I still join? While we have a basic membership criteria; we evaluate every application on an individual basis with consideration for all the circumstances. Single mom life is dynamic and it is our desire to include as many single moms as possible while staying aligned with our mission - which is serving single moms who work. If you feel you have a unique situation and would love to join us please feel free to email us and share with us before you submit the $10 preliminary application fee. Email: adoptasinglemomnepa@gmail.com

Does it matter how old I am or how old my kids are? Our membership is for working single moms of any age living in Northeastern Pennsylvania who are the primary caregiver (meaning child/ren currently live with you at least half-time year-round) of your children (including first-time currently pregnant) and the youngest child(ren) is age 21 and younger.

I am a working single mom and my kids are older than age 21 but I would still like to be part of the AASM Project community; how can I be involved? Be a volunteer. Go to the VOLUNTEER tab on our main page www.adoptasinglemom.org and fill out the volunteer application.

What do you do at Single Moms Night Out? Single Moms Night Out (MNO) is a monthly event that provides an opportunity for moms to have a night out with to socialize, network and learn from other women who are also working single moms without her child(ren). The AASM Project coordinates the event and venue. We usually toggle between Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties each month. Single MNO may be 1) Dinner, Social & Network 2) Dinner & Education/Workshop, 3) Activity without Dinner. Members attend for no cost. Non-Members pay a participation fee of $20.

Will I have to share personal identifiable information (PII) such as social security cards, birth certificates, pay stubs, household ownership/lease, etc. with my membership application? No. At this time we believe our membership application is complete and thorough enough that it is unnecessary to request PII from our membership applicants.

How often do you accept members? At this time, we accept new members during certain open enrollment periods one or two times a year. The membership dues renew monthly for 1 year from the date your membership is accepted and the first month is paid. You will re-apply every year for a new membership.

What are the members expected to do to fulfill the service requirement? Our pay-it-forward promise allows all members the opportunity to fully engage in the cycle of abundance by both giving and receiving. Contribution to the community is empowering and fulfilling. All members agree to provide 10 hours equivalent to a year of service time and fundraising to support the outreach and growth of the AASM community as a way of personally growing and supporting and mentoring other single moms along the way. To provide the greatest level of flexibility to our busy mom-life members, you will have the option of engaging in 10 hours of service a year at events, activities, supporting projects, behind-the-scenes administrative and outreach support, etc., or fundraising $200 (we will provide many opportunities for this to make it easy!) and you can do combined service hours and fundraising.

Why do I have to pay a $10 application processing fee? The $10 processing fee is a one-time annual charge primarily to ensure those who complete the application for membership are serious about being a member and have read our membership guidelines and Terms, and they are certain they meet our criteria. This effort helps us as an organization ultimately save time on review of membership applications. If you are not accepted as a member the application fee is non-refundable.

How much is the club membership? The club membership is for one year and the fee is currently $120. This is due at the beginning of the membership year. We also offer a flex pay option of $10 per month that is set up on autopay.

What are the terms and community guidelines for members? Please click the links here to read the Community Guidelines and Membership Terms before applying for membership.

What is the application process? Membership application fees submitted to the Adopt a Single Mom Project for membership consideration are non-refundable regardless of the outcome. Application reviews cannot be withdrawn. We maintain a record for informational, research and future statistical and promotional purposes.

You will be notified in writing via email with additional information on the next steps in the membership application and process immediately after submitting the preliminary application and processing fee.

Preliminary Membership applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis. When enrollment is closed, applicants are placed on the waitlist. Open enrollment for Membership is at select periods usually in the the first quarter and late Summer or Fall.

You will have 3 days from today (date you submitted the application fee) to complete and submit your membership application. If you do not complete and fully submit a proper application with all the required information you will forfeit the $10 application fee, and if at any time you decide to re-apply you will be required to submit the application fee again. You will not be required to submit any payment with the application. After your application is reviewed you will receive an email confirming membership acceptance OR denial.

After we receive your completed membership application we will email you the outcome of your application no later than 5 days of submission. It is usually much quicker.

If accepted as a member you agree to pay the membership dues within 3 days from the date of the acceptance email. You will receive a Welcome email outlining your membership options and benefits with the link for membership dues payment.

If membership dues are NOT paid in full within the 3 day acceptance window you will forfeit the $10 application fee and will be required to re-submit both the $10 application fee and full application again if you decide to join at a later date.

Here is the flow, for example, since there are several timelines:

1/10/2020 Submit $10 application fee

You will immediately get the link to complete the full membership application upon submitting the preliminary application.

1/13/2020 Is 3 days from the 1/10/2020 date we sent you the link to the application. This date is the deadline to complete and submit the application - otherwise, you lose the $10 application fee and will have to re-submit.

1/13/2020 Let's say this is the date you submitted your completed application for review. Immediately after submitting you will receive a confirmation that includes the link to our calendar to book your application review call within the next few days. You will also receive this in an email. Please look at the calendar to book a call as soon as possible since spots are very limited. Calls must be booked and conducted no more than 10 days from the submitted Step 2 Application date otherwise your application will be closed as incomplete. A determination of membership status will be given on this call.

1/16/2020 So if your Application Review Call is today and you got accepted, you now have 3 days to choose your membership type and pay membership fee. The link to pay will be in the Acceptance email/text. If you do not pay your dues by 3 days; which in this example would be 1/19/2020, then you will forfeit the $10 application fee and the application will be void. If you decide to apply again you will have to start from the beginning.

From beginning to end the application process is usually no longer than 10 days. We have allowed this longer timeline to allow member applicants enough time to respond with your busy schedules.

It is very possible that if you respond and submit as quickly as you receive our communication that the membership process can be completed in 5 days or less. We want them to go very quickly! :)

Flourishing Momma

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