Drive-through Mother's Day parade honors single moms: 'They’re wearing all those hats on their own'
Tara Taylor knows how challenging it is to be a single mother. And while Sacramento-area moms are stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, she wanted to do something special to honor those who are raising kids solo.
“I could feel their energy dipping over the last few weeks. And sheltering in place is challenging, but particularly challenging for single parents because they’re wearing all those hats on their own,” Taylor told Yahoo Life. “They really needed some kind of uplight, and I knew with social distancing guidelines, that was going to be a challenge.”
Taylor, who serves as president of Single Mom Strong, a nonprofit organization that supports and empower single mothers and their children, came up with the idea to host a Mother’s Day drive-through celebration, where Sacramento-area moms could pop by for a surprise or two on Saturday.
“It was lots of fun,” Taylor told Yahoo Life. “As much as a party can be while you’re driving through something! They were so grateful. There were kids leaning out of the top of the sunroof.”
The drive-through incorporated a series of drive-through booths in their office building’s parking lot which each mom could visit while practicing social distancing in their vehicles. A close friend of Taylor’s who works as a DJ played music, while a caravan of cars containing over 50 mothers along with their kids stopped by. At the first stop, moms received a mystery bag of goodies or a bouquet of flowers, followed by an option to choose from a variety of catered meals at the second stop. At the third stop, each mom could pick up a commemorative T-shirt.
“It was a really positive few moments for them, and people were smiling and laughing, and we felt like OK, maybe we're on the upswing now,” said Taylor. “We have a core group of moms, but some we hadn’t even met before, and many of them had not left their homes at all and had sheltered in place for six to eight weeks, and this was the first time they left.”
Taylor founded the organization five years ago when she was a single mother in need of a supportive community. While her daughter is now a college student, she’s channeled her experience into helping other single moms find the support they need.
“Our first priority is community. We’re very event-based,” said Taylor, who says the organization hosts eight to 10 events per month, ranging from workshops and support groups to fit clubs and mom’s nights out. “There’s a variety of ways for them to engage in a bigger community, in addition to some form of self-improvement or support.”
While Single Mom Strong has plenty of virtual events in which mothers across the world can participate, Taylor says she knows it’s still tough to keep your head up while parenting during a pandemic.
“The thing I always want to say to every single mom is, they are enough. Doing their best is enough,” said Taylor. “Besides that right now, community is everything, and finding ways to connect, whether virtually, or within your circle, is really important.”
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