Uplifting Parents Program provide support for single parents

Uplifting Parents Program, Graduation Party///Canyon Lake Park, Rapid City

Hello. We’re here today at Canyon Lake Park with uplifting prayers program from Catholic Social Services. And this is Jessica joining us today. Thanks so much.

Thanks for having me.

Absolutely. So talk a little bit about the Uplifting Parents program.

Jessica Perkins, MSW// Uplifting Parents Program Director

Jessica Perkins, MSW, Uplifting Parents Program Director, talks about what exactly is the Uplifting Parents Program.

“So the Uplifting Parents program is a program at Catholic Social Services, and we are a program for single parent college students. So we provide mentoring and case management services to them and just kind of are alongside of them throughout graduation in order to help them get a degree and create a better life for themselves and their children.”

Perkins continues describing how the program works.

“We meet with them twice a month. And that mentorship looks very different depending on what it is that they need. So we provide case management services and we also provide just very in-depth mentoring. So just meeting them where they’re at and figuring out what it is that they might need and just taking an individualized approach to helping them work out whatever might come.” 

The Uplifting Parents Program is celebrating the accomplishments of some of their graduates. Perkins says, “We have so many wonderful individuals that have graduated from the program and have gone on to really land their dream jobs in the community as nurses, teachers. We have someone who is going to be an engineer.  And so just really with their passion and what their educational and professional goals are, we help them with that. So if anybody wanted more information, they could go to our website and that’s upliftingparents.org and we’re at Catholic Social Services. They could always come into the office and we would be happy to meet with them as well. They can just give us a call. So any any time that they’re interested in that, then they could always use any of those avenues.”

Michele Fischer is one single parent that has participated in the Uplifting Parents Program.

Fischer tells her story of how she got connected with the program.

“I actually heard about the program through Western Dakota Tech, when I first started attending. And I ended up going and speaking with Heidi. She kind of explained to me the benefits of having, a mentor and then some other, benefits to that to the program. And I was like, wow, like this could really help, support me as a single parent.

Fischer explains some of the struggles of being a nontraditional student.

“Being a nontraditional student, especially with two little ones, it was just like, wow, there’s a lot in one basket. And I couldn’t pass it up. I just recently graduated last month with the Environmental Engineering Technician Program at Western Dakota Tech with an associate’s degree. And the thing is, we would meet with our mentors, every couple of weeks. It wasn’t just then. I could pick the phone up and call. I can send a text and say, ‘hey, do you have a few minutes?’ You know, whatever the case may be. So it was always a 24 hours a day, seven days a week support system that we had.”

Fisher also has some encouragement for other single parents that may be looking for some support.

“And I really didn’t think that programs like that were out there. And this program, I can look at other parents, whether they’re single parents or just young couples or, again, nontraditional, parents that waited and say, ‘Hey, I did this, but I did it with a support group.’ And if you don’t have a support group, let me be a part of that. Or let me point you in the direction where I know there are people who can be there for you in a variety of ways. And there are plenty of support groups out there, especially as a single parent. Reach out to us. We can help you. And if there’s something that we can’t do to help you, we will find you the information you need to actually go back to school, get your education and be able to provide a better life for yourself and your family.”