Meet the Hearts Behind the Posts!
Our bloggers promise to bring you fresh, inspirational, and informative entries sure to make you a follower and supporter of all that SMO strives to accomplish!
Susan Cuffari
Susan was the recipient of the Customer Service award for the Southern California Campuses of Charter College 2009. As a Santa Clarita Community member for the last four years arriving here as a stay at home mother, two years ago obtaining the position of Director of Student Success at Charter College in Canyon Country. My primary role is to advise, coach and support adult learners in pursuit of higher education on their journey to graduation. With a heart for service, I am a member of the SCVI Soroptomist, Chamber of Commerce, Latino Chamber of Commerce, I volunteer for multiple non profit organizations locally including SMO and the Betty Ferguson Foundation. Recently (One Year) I have enrolled in an online Ph.d program in pursuit of my doctorate in Organizational Leadership with a sub specialization in Non Profit Management.
Andrea Johnson
Andrea moved to Southern California with her husband from Illinois. She has a degree in English and is as beautiful on the inside as she is outside!
Jill Kola-Ines
Mother, daughter, friend, employee, ex-wife
I am 41 years old and still shopping for a career. I’ve been at Universal Studios Hollywood for almost 20 years now with no hope for advancement. Recruited husband, dated, moved in together, got married, got pregnant, miscarried, waited , tried again, got pregnant, had baby in 2005. We moved to a larger apartment in Valencia, CA in 2006, bought house in 2008, daughter diagnosed with PDD ( Autism) , and husband filed for divorce one week before our 10 year anniversary . He moved out a month later and we sold the house the next year. The divorce was final Jan 19, 2010. Our daughter Alexandra, now 6, and I are renting a condo In Canyon Country.
I have found hope and help through my church with different classes ranging from Boundaries, to Divorce Care to Hope for women. The best thing to happen to me through this difficult situation is it has strengthened my faith.
Natalie Lessard
Natalie Lessard
Natalie Lessard is a single mother of three boys who works full-time as a legal assistant. She has lived in the Santa Clarita, California for over 30 years. She shares her experiences as a single mother in hopes to encourage others on the same journey.
Melanie Lightbourne-Rowe
Melanie Lightbourn-Rowe
I am a creative mind, constantly looking for new and innovative ways of becoming a better me. I am an educator by profession, but a mother by choice. Being a parent is the most important job with which any human being could ever be entrusted, and I take my job very seriously! My goal is to find a common thread that exists with all parents and their children; if they love deeply enough, they will laugh often! I know that my kids keep me on my feet and add laughter to my days. I know your children do the same for you. Let’s share those experiences…TOGETHER!
Wendy McLaren
Wendy McLaren
I live in Santa Clarita, California with my family. I attended Hart High School, my 13-year-old son currently attends Placerita Junior High, and my 20-year-old son lives in Newhall.
I am a Certified Performance/Relationship/Leadership Coach. I began my training as a Coach with Resource Realizations Quantum Coaching Academy in September 2007 and graduated in June of 2008.
Coaching is definitely my passion. My main focus is single parents as I was a single parent for many, many years and I am very familiar with the struggles as well as the rewarding payoffs.
Having support as a single parent is very important today. I can remember the moments that I was grateful to have other people to turn to while going through some rough times. Being a parent is one of the most important relationships we will ever know. Our children benefit greatly from being raised by a parent who feels good enough about themselves to be able to project their love unconditionally.
For a free 30-min. coaching session to see if coaching is for you, you may contact me at (818)970-9743 or wendyabc1@yahoo.com
Jinky Rodriguez
Jinky Rodriguez is a consummate writer, photographer and Fashion Consultant-Sales Associate for Dress Barn. She is vying for her license in Fire and Casualty with Farmers Insurance and is closely working with District Manager, Steve Almeida in Valencia,CA. She’s also an SMO mom!
She has been a features writer since highschool for The Maryan Newspaper, an official publication of Saint Mary’s Academy Pasay City, Philippines. She moved as Features Editor for The Paulinian (St. Paul College of Manila) and News Writer for the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in 2001. Her article about the Council Elections made controversial front page-news and received critical acclaim. She wrote numerous articles for Chic Magazine in Manila under the Pseudonym, Wind Wiseacre.
In the United States, she had conducted interviews and covered events for The Kabayan, the bulletin for the Filipino-American Association of Santa Clarita Valley. She became an Associate Editor for this publication in 2008.
She is currently living in Newhall,CA with her daughter of 18 months, AJ.
DaAnne Smith
DaAnne Smith
As the Executive Director of Single Mothers Outreach (SMO) she assists low-income single mothers cope with the psychological, financial, social, and physical challenges of single parenthood. Thousands of impoverished single mothers have benefited from emergency financial assistance, garments from the Clothes Closet, support services, community referrals, financial literacy and career development trainings, and emotional support provided by SMO. DaAnne is deeply committed to this cause and goes above and beyond to ensure single mothers in the SCV have the best chance to improve their current circumstances and future opportunities through the provision of resources, supportive services, skill-building opportunities, and affirmation. DaAnne is a heroic visionary leader with superb talents for getting community support to advance SMO’s mission.
Michelle Tall
Michelle Tall
Michelle is a prolific writer of her single parent experience. She lives in Valencia California with her son Tucker.
