Start your engines! It’s time to press the pedal and accelerate towards our Spring Gala that will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2022, at the Hemi Hideout, 1172 Wilpitz Rd., Brookshire, TX. 77423. Although we had a virtual Gala in 2021, the last time we sped around this track was 2019, and it’s great to be running this race again.
Why are we doing this, you might ask? Because every day we are confronted by real life situations like this: A young mother who has experienced a lifetime of pain at just 25 years old. She has three children to care for – 5, 3, and 18 months – and no place to call home. It doesn’t take long to discover the scars of traumatic abuse and abandonment. Her existence is fragile, and her only concern is how to care for her children today. Is there any hope for her to break free from a life that is stuck in a cycle of abuse and poverty? Is there any hope for her or any of the thousands of single parents who share a common story of hurt and hopelessness? YES!
For those single mothers and women struggling to escape the cycle of abuse and dysfunction, there is hope. For those feeling ill equipped to lead a single parent family, there is hope. For those who never got the foundational skills or experiences necessary to financially make it, there is hope. Hope is at home in the ministry of Katy Cares!
Katy Cares is a non-profit where hope is at home. We begin where our clients are, casting a vision of where they could be and equipping them for the journey ahead. Our desire is to advocate for those who are experiencing this often invisible and expanding social dilemma. You can bring hope today to a single mom or dad who is wondering … does anyone even see me or care? You can say, yes! Katy Cares is a solution! You can become part of the solution.
Katy Cares is a solution-driven response to our community’s most vulnerable population: single-parent families who are victims of trauma due to a life-altering event such as domestic violence, abuse, intimidation, separation, divorce, and financial challenges as a result of a loss of employment and/or income. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2016, and we provide Trauma Informed Therapeutic Programs for single parent families and their children. More information about our Programs can be found at: Our Program – Katy Cares.
In the USA, almost 16 million children live with their mother and about 3.3 million with their father. This means that almost 20 million children are from single parent families. When compared to the 7.5 million with mothers and less than 800,000 with fathers in 1970, it is clear that the number of single parent families is growing exponentially and so are the social-economic challenges. The current total U.S. children population is about 74 million. These numbers suggest that 27% of our children are being raised in a single parent family environment and almost 5% are growing up without their father being present in their daily lives.
Analysis of the 1997 and 1999 waves of the National Survey of America’s Families showed that the rate of poverty was 30.9-43.1% higher among single parent families than among married, two-parent families. It is estimated that this number exceeded 60% in 2020.
The Katy Cares mission is to equip single parents and their children with the necessary social, spiritual and educational skill sets that can enable them to become emotionally resilient, economically independent, and meaningfully engaged with society.
Are you ready? Start your engines! The COVID pandemic may have us starting at the back of the pack and needing to come from behind as 2021 saw a short fall of $82,000, but with your commitment we will cross the finish stronger than ever. We may have been running lean, but by the grace of God, Katy Cares managed to continue rendering much needed trauma counseling, mentoring, coaching services and more. Despite these challenges, we have made a difference in the lives of almost 200 single parent mothers, fathers and their children, this past year. Let’s show them that Katy Cares really cares. The checkered flag is in sight and your generosity and commitment will get all of us across the finish line together!
Contact Dr. Dawid J. Pieterse at 832-517-1636 or email president@katycares.org to join the race and bring HOPE. Alternatively, donations can be made on our website: Donate – Katy Cares. More information about the Katy Cares Spring Gala can be found at Spring Gala 2022 – Katy Cares
