Many of our mothers, prior to coming to New Beginnings, did not have the opportunity, Christian encouragement, or resources to continue their education.  One of the best books I have read is called A Framework for Understanding Poverty written by Ruby Payne.  The author illustrates that poverty is often a result of a lack of resources, and that education can change the current prevalence of poverty.  In fact, she goes on to say, "An education is key to getting out of, and staying out of, poverty."  Education has the potential to break the cycle of poverty.

However, there is a caveat.  More than 20 years of experience has shown us that mothers will often doubt their ability to continue their education because life events have eroded their self-confidence.  As we know, self-doubt is a tough feeling to overcome, but by centering the focus on God's love for us, mothers learn that with Christ anything is possible.

We know that the educational attainment of a mother predicts the educational attainment of her child.  For this reason, New Beginnings maintains an education fund in which we help mothers pay for the cost of tuition, school supplies, laptops, and transportation to school.  Your gifts are life-changing for the mothers – they are finally given an opportunity to succeed with God by their side.  To help your gift go further, the Siebert Foundation will match gifts given to education dollar for dollar.

Do you ever wonder if you really make a difference?  Those volunteer hours that you put in or that money that you donate to help support New Beginnings, does it really matter?  How can that help possibly make a difference? 

​​It Does!

A resident has graduated from the New Beginnings Program!  It is all because of God's love working through your help and support!  Here is Letisha's story and letter to all of you who have helped her along the way:

3. We have a wide range of opportunities available.  Mentor.  Tutor.  Home Assistant.  And so much more!  The opportunities are endless and we have special projects all the time.  And you know what?  If you have a talent or interest you’d be willing to share with us that you don’t see covered in our current available opportunities, I bet we could use it!  All you have to do is reach out to us and we will find a place for you!

4. Our moms are awesome!  They are hard-working and hilarious and pretty fun to be around.  We get to help them through some tough things and we get to celebrate their successes with them.  Volunteering is always more fun when you get to spend time with great people!

5. You may get to hang out with some babies!  I’ll let these pictures do the talking for this one:

7. You might learn something!  Whether you’re forced to learn something in order complete a project or you learn something while helping a mom, chances are you’ll find out something you didn’t know before volunteering with us.  I interned at New Beginnings prior to working here in the capacity that I do now and I deepened my knowledge in so many areas from interacting with and helping others to the day-to-day operations of a non-profit.  Most importantly, I gained experience in a Christian environment and therefore strengthened my faith.  As staff members, we are learning and growing in faith every day and you will too!

8. It’s great experience to add to a resume.  No matter what you’re doing to help us, you’re gaining great experience that you could add to your resume!  Want to practice a new skill?  What better place is there to put that skill to use?  

10. WE NEED YOU!  Without the support of our donors and volunteers, New Beginnings could not continue to run and help moms here in Milwaukee.  With the help of volunteers, we’re able to help more moms and do more to help the moms we already have here.  The bottom line is that volunteers are vital to the success of our moms and our program as a whole.  Your talents and time are needed here!

I hope I didn't scare you away. Are you still there?  If so, stay with me. I promise this quiz is easy – all you have to do is make a mental check next to the statements that apply to you. 

​You might be wondering why I am so curious to learn whether you know how to get a library card. The purpose of this quiz is to illustrate a point. If you are falling more into the purple box, odds are you grew up in generational poverty. If you are falling into the green box, more than likely you grew up middle class. Some of us might assume everyone knows how to get a library card – seems easy enough. The reality is that if you don’t know how to do some of the things in the purple box, you cannot possibly expect others to know the hidden rules of middle class.  As you may have guessed, there is even a different set of “hidden rules” for wealth - all of which I did not know (but we won’t get into that)! 

​As Christians, we aim to meet people where they are at, and build our relationship with that person both interpersonally and emotionally. More importantly, we take that relationship a step further by sharing the saving message of God’s grace. Life isn’t always about understanding one another fully, but rather about forming relationships and meeting people where they are at. We don’t have to understand all of the hidden rules, but we should aim to acknowledge them. Let’s not always expect everyone to be like us, let’s not jump to conclusions about who they are, and let’s not judge on the basis of having little or having lots. When we do those things, we lose out on unique opportunities to help others grow (and probably grow ourselves too). 

2. You know exactly where your office is located. Getting lost at New Beginnings is impossible, especially since there’s only one office to choose from. The writer of this blog did petition for an intern-only office space, but that idea was quickly shut down. 

4. ​Someone getting hired is BIG news. I’ve heard some people complain about being “just another intern” at other internships, but at New Beginnings, everything you do has an impact, even if you’re not a paid member of the staff. If you’re a staff member, the impact is even larger, which means that having someone new join the New Beginnings team is headline-worthy. Let’s have a round of applause for our new Media Design Intern Greta Sievert and our newly-hired case manager Clara Drinkwine!

5.​ You absolutely love your job! Just like motherhood, there are hard parts, but overall the work is worth it and rewarding in a way that nothing else can possibly be! ​

​Do your impressions change as you get to know someone?  Most often, it is the second or third interaction that help us form an opinion of who some one is.  I had asked Letisha if her impression of the program at New Beginnings was any different once she started in the program.  She honestly said that nothing had changed and that if anything, it had just gotten better and Nayari said that she started to feel more comfortable with the residents and staff.  Nayari also said that the program got easier as she started getting into it and that New Beginnings isn't just a program, but a family that eats together and talks together also.

​So, when does a good relationship actually start?  It slowly develops over time through trust and commitment.  We all have friends, and even friends that we consider family.  These are the people who will take us through our good days, bad days, and accept and love us as if they were family.  That is our goal with the mothers who come into the New Beginnings' program.  There is a reason why we call it the New Beginnings Family.  Letisha has been here over a year and she has developed a great relationship with New Beginnings.  She has a good relationship with staff and has proved herself as a positive mentor with the other residents.  When I asked her what she thinks of New Beginnings now that she has been here that long and become a Phase 2 resident, she said that it is everything that she wanted and needed and that she "will have something to say if anybody talks bad about New Beginnings."  Nayari, who has been here over two months said that she now thinks "that the staff is very supportive and they push us (in a loving way) to do better in life and get goals completed so we can be set for life, our future, and our kids."

So what drives us?  How do we build that relationship and trust?  Is it our doing?  No!  It is to God's Glory that we help these mothers and their children.  It was He who commanded us in His Word.  "We love because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19  "Share with the Lord's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality." - Romans 12:13  God also tells us "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2  This is what drives us and through His Grace, we can help these young women grow closer to Him. First impressions sometimes are not always how they initially seem, but overtime can develop into something beyond what we can imagine!

​Have you shown kindness to others recently? A few weeks ago, I went through the Starbucks drive-thru for my daily dose of caffeine. When I reached the window to pay, I was told that the woman ahead of me already covered the cost of my coffee! I was so astonished by her kindness that I passed that joy along to the next person in line. I was hoping that the acts of kindness continued in the same way all day.

​Do these sound familiar?  Our busy lives keep us on the move.  We go here and there getting things done.  We are working, cooking, cleaning, watching the grandkids, or still running our own children to practices and games.  What if you were the key to just one mother’s success in the New Beginnings program?  Would you find time then?  How much would that be worth to you if you could help change that one life?   Just that one bit of knowledge that you could share or that one shift that you could cover once a month could make all the difference in the world.

​We have many different volunteers here at New Beginnings.  Some volunteers come in only one time for a school project.  Some come in to help with special projects.  Still others come in once a year to do a Group Night activity.  We do have a great group of volunteers who come in and three of them are very dedicated. I would like to take the time to give them a huge "Thank You" and share a little of who they are.

​​First, we have Julie.  Julie has been with us a long time and comes in about twice a month to have dinner and devotion with our mothers and babies here.  The residents absolutely love having her here and she loves to come in and share God’s Word with them.

​​Last but not least, we have another Julie!  Julie has such a beautiful skill set.  She comes in to help cover staff hours and she has been blessed with a wonderful gift to decorate.  Julie is in charge of our Boutique but has expanded her skills to holiday decorating and organizing.

We have plenty of other volunteers that I would like to mention but we also have plenty of volunteer opportunities if you would like to help make that difference for a mother and her baby.  For more information on volunteer opportunities, click here. 

If you would like to sign up to help out, please click the button below and make a difference in somebody's life.

2. The faith and fellowship we have on Friendship Sunday. Going to church with staff members and residents on a monthly basis promotes a feeling of unity and peace. 

6. Learning about non-profit work. Not only does New Beginnings provide a ready-made, customizable opportunity for an internship, but it also gives me the chance to see the inner workings of a non-profit organization up close. 

8. Everyone showing off their group recipes at Group Dinners once a month. With each month having a different food-related theme, it’s no surprise that every dish created by a staff member, resident supervisor, or resident is amazing!

10. Writing for the blog! As an English major, I always enjoy the chance to express my thoughts with writing.