OUR WHY
FUELING CHRISTMAS
At Fueling Christmas, our mission is to bring warmth, joy, and hope to single parent families during the holiday season.
We recognize the unique challenges faced by single parents and are committed to easing their burdens, so they can create cherished memories with their children.
Our Commitment:
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Filling Hearts with Joy: We strive to ensure that no single parent family faces the holiday season with worry or despair. Through our efforts, we aim to infuse their homes with the magic of the season.
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Fueling Traditions: We believe in the power of traditions to create lasting bonds. We help single parents establish holiday traditions that become a source of joy and stability for their families.
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Kindling Hope: Beyond gifts and festivities, we ignite hope by providing essential resources, emotional support, and a sense of community. We aspire to be a beacon of encouragement for single parents striving to create a brighter future.
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Spreading Warmth: The holiday season is not only about material gifts; it's about the warmth of human connection. We work to create a network of support, ensuring that no single parent feels alone during this special time of year.
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Fueled by Compassion: Our actions are driven by empathy and the belief that every single parent and their children deserve a holiday season filled with love, laughter, and the magic of the holidays.
Our Vision:
We envision a world where every single parent family can celebrate the holidays with hope, dignity, and joy. Through our dedicated efforts and the generosity of our community, we aim to make this vision a reality, one family at a time.
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Join Us in Igniting Holiday Magic:
Fueling Christmas invites individuals, businesses, and communities to join hands with us in our mission. Together, we can transform the lives of single parent families, lighting up their holidays and brightening their futures.
Thank you for your support,
Dave & Angela Thompson
Single Parenting Today
About 18 million U.S. children under 18 live with an unmarried parent, according to the Pew Research Center. About 15 million live with only a single mother and 3 million with only a single father. The Pew Center predicts that because of increasing divorce rates, more than 1 in 5 children born within a marriage will experience their parents breaking up by the time the children are 9 years old.
The Challenges
Financial Problems
Pew reports that 30% of single mothers and their families are living below the poverty line, compared to 17% of single-father families. Money problems start almost as soon as one parent moves out. If both parents are working outside the home, the split will sharply reduce income for both. But money problems hit harder for the custodial parent. Usually, the mother:
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Single parents may have trouble finding or keeping a job that pays well enough to properly support them and their children. A parent who had been working before the divorce may have to cut back their hours or turn down higher-paying assignments without a partner to pick up the slack.
Parents whose spouse has passed have even fewer options than the divorced single parent. Most widowed parents don’t inherit generous estates or life insurance benefits that make them independently wealthy – or even comfortable.
Time Problems
Parents never seem to have enough quality time to spend with their children. Time feels even scarcer for single parents. The custodial single parent’s day often begins with a morning scramble to get everyone up, clothed, fed, and out of the house for school or work. After a day on the job, they hustle everyone to after-school activities. They come home and manage dinner while supervising homework. They catch up on laundry and other household chores after everyone is in bed – assuming they just go to bed without constant interruptions. The day is even more chaotic if the parent has to work a second job.
Child-Rearing Issues
These are historically the toughest problems for many single-parent families. a Single parent typically has to make all child-rearing decisions alone. They can’t consult the other parent for support on day-to-day problems and concerns. Child rearing in single parent households presents a myriad of challenges that can significantly impact both the parent and the child. One primary issue is the financial strain that often accompanies single parenthood. Without the benefit of a second income, single parents may struggle to provide for their children’s basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as additional expenses like education, healthcare, and extracurricular activities. This financial pressure can limit the opportunities available to children and can lead to increased stress and anxiety within the family unit.
Another critical issue is the lack of time and energy single parents face. Balancing work, household responsibilities, and parenting can be overwhelming, leaving little time for rest or self-care. Single parents often have to work longer hours or multiple jobs to make ends meet, which can reduce the amount of quality time they spend with their children. This can affect the parent-child relationship and the child’s emotional and psychological well-being. Additionally, without a partner to share the responsibilities, single parents may struggle to provide consistent discipline, support, and supervision, which can impact the child's behavior and development. The absence of a co-parent can also mean a lack of emotional support for the parent, making it harder to navigate the challenges of raising children alone.
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No Support Network
the lack of support available to single parents is
Coming Up Next
Fuel Coffee and Fuel Charities sponsor multiple events throughout the year. All proceeds from these events benefit Fueling Christmas a 501 (c) 3 Charity
