Baltimore is the site of the newest local branch of the Jeremiah Program, a national nonprofit dedicated to disrupting generational poverty by uplifting single moms and their children.

In 2022, the Charm City chapter opened with just 12 participants. But since then, the program size has nearly quadrupled. And in the past year, Baltimore’s Jeremiah Program helped five moms earn college degrees — with several more underway.

Executive Director Danielle Staton calls the nonprofit’s work “holistic.” They connect moms with scholarships and financial aid, pair them with a one-on-one coach to meet twice per month, and offer tutoring for their children.

The nonprofit also invests $100 into a 529 education savings account for every month that a mom is enrolled in classes.

“The idea is that moms, once they leave this program, their children are not in the Jeremiah Program,” Staton told WYPR. That means the JP staff doesn’t just check in on grades and school schedules, she said.

“But also, you know, how are you doing mental health-wise?” Staton added. “Do you have enough food? Are there housing issues? How are your children doing? Because all those things, particularly for student parents, can impact whether or not you actually continue with school.”

In early October, Staton brought in the Stoop Storytelling Series to offer storytelling training to three JP moms — and then showcased their final narratives at an event at Goucher College.

“The stories of single mothers are often hidden or told through the lens of just struggling and sacrifice,” Staton said while introducing the speakers on Oct. 9. “But tonight, we are here to reclaim those narratives, to honor their strength, their resilience and trying that's defined so many of our journeys.”

Mia Jackson, who graduated with a business administration degree from University of Maryland Global Campus this summer, shared the story of her decision to become a mother. Chantel Berkley, who’s studying public health at University of Maryland College Park, spoke about quitting her job to become a full-time student.

The third mom, Ebony Peacock, said she’s in the process of rebuilding her life. She’s in her first semester of classes at Baltimore City Community College, having joined Jeremiah in the summer.

On stage, she told the story of her recent move back to West Baltimore after fleeing an abusive marriage in Mississippi with her two young kids.

“I am fearful for my life, and I have to get out,” she said. “So that's what I did. I have epilepsy. I'm not supposed to be driving. But I drove the longest I've ever driven, but I got to safety.”

The Mississippi shelter she landed in booked her a flight home, where she reconnected with family and friends – one of whom later brought her to an event being held by the Jeremiah Program.

“[My friend] realized that I had been mentally abused and I wasn't the same Ebony, and that there was so much more work to do,” Peacock said at the storytelling event. “That's what I have been doing since I have been back home. And the Jeremiah Program has been a big, a big part of that.”

Beyond financial support

Speaking at her favorite local coffee shop a week after the event, Peacock said she wasn’t sure why she decided to share her story on stage. But afterwards, she said she felt “much lighter.”

“I feel like my head was telling me, ‘Don't do it. You have so much garbage and you have so much baggage, nobody wants to hear that crap,’” she told WYPR. “Thank God that I have my [JP] coach who’s taught me how to kick that to the curb.”

Peacock lovingly calls her JP coach her “AI chatbot” — someone she can turn to with any question or need, big or small.

“They just offer so much support if you're a single mom and you're out here trying to do these balancing acts and do it on your own,” she said. “I attempted to get my degree before on my own. It was too much.”

The support she gets isn’t financial, Peacock said. She receives tuition aid because of her epilepsy. In fact, JP doesn’t cover tuition costs for members at all — but it can connect moms with financial aid and assist with loan difficulties.

Berkley received a Judy Family Foundation scholarship after being sponsored by Jeremiah staff, she said. And her coach helped clear the hold on student loan payments that was preventing her transfer to College Park.

Berkley said the JP tutoring — and the $1,200 summer enrichment stipend — also helped her son get back on track after falling behind his peers.

“My son, he loves marine biology, so we got like aquarium memberships; we were able to do a fine arts camp,” she said.

And one of the biggest perks, Berkley said, is the community.

“It’s like having sisters that I didn't know I needed, but I need them,” she said. “We're able to support each other, encourage each other. It feels good, it feels really good, like a sense of belonging.”

The Jeremiah Program can’t solve everything, like the “balancing act” the student-parents say they have to handle on a daily basis.

“I go [to classes] online because, like most moms, I'm listening to my anthropology professor and I'm making spaghetti at the same time,” Peacock said. “We're collectively working together as a family and using technology just to make this work.”

Staton said Baltimore moms face unique challenges, like housing affordability and lackluster public transportation. And then they also deal with the more universal issues.

“Lots of colleges and universities are not set up for student-parents, whether that be a lack of childcare or flexibility,” she said. “And as a nonprofit, funding is always something that we're looking to expand on, and being able to get people to understand why it's important to fund something like this.”