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| Advocates for Adolescent Mothers (AFAM) |
WHO IS ADVOCATES FOR ADOLESCENT MOTHERS?
Advocates for Adolescent Mothers is an emerging, top-rated nonprofit
organization and social enterprise committed to empowering young parents by
providing them with the tools, resources, and support needed to break the
cycle of poverty, establish prosperity, and prevent child abuse.
WHAT DO WE DO?
Advocates for Adolescent Mothers unique programming and activities
addresses the needs of young parents. Our current programs activities include:
 | The Educational Empowerment Grant Initiative is an anti-poverty | |
| program that provides financial support to young mothers in college. |
| The Teen Parent Stable Housing Study, a longitudinal study that | |
| collects administrative data about the prevalence of homelessness among young mothers in multiple cities nationally, beginning with Chicago. |
| Through our Holiday Drive program, we collect toys and coats and offer | |
| them as Christmas gifts to homeless young moms and their children. The Holiday Drive starts with the collection of toys and outerwear, culminates with our holiday social, and ends with the Holiday Party, where we deliver gifts to the young moms and their children. |
In the future we will offer scholarships, and supportive housing to homeless
young mothers and their children. Our national advocacy alliance, combined
with the research we produce, serves as a voice for the needs and concerns of
young parents; influences local, state, and federal legislation; and provides
practitioners with evidence based practices that will strengthen their efficacy
in serving this population.
WHY DO WE DO IT?
The lives of most pregnant and parenting youth become very complex from
the moment they learn of their pregnancy. In addition to many other barriers
that young mothers face, many of them encounter homelessness. Despite the
sad reality that young mothers and their children often experience
homelessness, there are very few organizations that provide them housing.
- 60% of teen moms were victims of child sexual abuse.
- 33% of teen moms do not graduate high school before the age of 22.
- Less than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree before the age of 30.
- 25% of teen moms become pregnant again within 2 years.
- A 2005 study revealed a point-in-time estimate of nearly 2000 children
of homeless youth in Illinois.
- Children of homeless teen moms are 3 times more likely to experience
homelessness themselves more than once as adults.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Consider becoming a Board member.
- Join our National Advocacy Alliance.
- Become a community support member.
- Make a donation.
For additional information about any of the above opportunities, please send
your inquiries by email to contact@advocatesforadolescentmothers.com.
AFAM asks for your patience as this website is continually developed. While this
site is still under construction, AFAM encourages patrons to peruse this website for
educational information, inspiration/encouragement, research, and testimonies of
other adolescent mothers. We ask that you check back frequently for further
developments and additional resources.
Thank You!!!
Advocates for Adolescent Mothers P.O. BOX 43234
Email: contact@advocatesforadolescentmothers.com Chicago, IL 60643 - 0234
Email: contact@advocatesforadolescentmothers.com Chicago, IL 60643 - 0234
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| CHECK OUT THE NEWEST EDITION OF THE ARCHIVE, OUR | |
| EMAIL NEWSLETTER FEATURING AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT GRANT INITIATIVE PARTICIPANT! THE APRIL EDITION OF THE ARCHIVE CAN BE READ HERE. |
| COMING SOON! CATALYST 98! A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM | |
| INSPIRED BY THE EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT GRANT INITIATIVE, EMPOWERING YOUNG MOMS IN COLLEGE TO EARN A COLLEGE DEGREE AND ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL ASSETS! FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES! |
| MISSION150 ACCOMPLISHED! WE PROVIDED NEARLY 275 | |
| TOYS AND 75 COATS TO HOMELESS & UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUNG MOMS AND CHILDREN AT 5 CHICAGO AREA NONPROFITS LAST CHRISTMAS. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND TO NORTHWEST INDIANA FOR CHRISTMAS 2013! FOR INFORMATION ON SPONSORSHIP OR PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE EMAIL ADMIN@ADVOCATESFORADOLESCENTMOTHERS. COM. |
| ADVOCATES FOR ADOLESCENT MOTHERS SUMMER | |
| SKYLIGHT LUNCHEON WAS A GREAT SUCCESS! SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL SPONSORS, DONORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND EVENT GUESTS! |
| ANNOUNCING THE EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT GRANT | |
| INITIATIVE! THROUGH THE EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT GRANT INITIATIVE, YOUNG MOTHERS WHO ARE IN COLLEGE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN A GRANT OF UP TO $500! WE WILL BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS SOON! |
| ADVOCATES FOR ADOLESCENT MOTHERS DISTRIBUTed | |
| BACKPACKS TO YOUNG PARENTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13-19 ON SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012 AT THE FRIENDS FAMILY HEALTH CENTER HEALTH FAIR! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BACKPACK DISTRIBUTION, EMAIL CONTACT@ADVOCATESFORADOLESCENTMOTHERS.COM. |
| ADVOCATES FOR ADOLESCENT MOTHERS TOY DRIVE 2011 | |
| WAS A GREAT SUCCESS! WE COLLECTED TOYS FOR THE CHILDREN OF HOMELESS YOUNG MOTHERS AT THE NIGHT MINISTRY'S HOMELESS YOUTH PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS THE HULL HOUSE ASSOCIATION EMERGE PROGRAM. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED AND JOINED US AT THE TOY DRIVE EVENT ON DECEMBER 9TH. |
| ADVOCATES FOR ADOLESCENT MOTHERS RECOGNIZED | |
| NATIONALLY BY GREAT NONPROFITS AS A TOP RATED WOMEN'S NONPROFIT! CHECK OUT OUR PAGE AND LEAVE US YOUR POSITIVE REVIEWS! |
| ADVOCATES FOR ADOLESCENT MOTHERS, A FEATURED | |
| NONPROFIT AT A NONPROFIT AFFAIR 2011. |
| CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, | |
| LILLIAN HARRIS, WHO WAS RECOGNIZED FOR A THIRD YEAR AS A CHICAGO ANGEL BY MAVEN'S DIVA SERIES EVENT! |
| NEW RESEARCH ARTICLES AVAILABLE ON THE RESEARCH | |
| PAGE. MORE RESEARCH TO COME IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. STAY POSTED FOR THE DEBUT OF RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY AFAM'S FOUNDER ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AMONG YOUNG MOTHERS IN CHICAGO. |
| AFAM's TESTIMONIES PAGE. CURRENT AND FORMER | |
| ADOLESCENT MOTHERS ARE INVITED TO SHARE THEIR INSPIRING STORIES TO ENCOURAGE AND MOTIVATE OTHERS. EMAIL YOUR STORY TO ADMIN@ADVOCATESFORADOLESCENTMOTHERS.COM. |
In The Community...
| AFAM FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, LILLIAN HARRIS RECEIVES | |
| THE ZETA ZEAL AWARD FROM ZETA PHI BETA XI MU ZETA CHICAGO CHAPTER, MARCH 2013. |
National News...
| AFAM FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, LILLIAN HARRIS RECEIVED | |
| HEALTHY TEEN NETWORK'S OUTSTANDING TEEN PARENT AWARD, NOVEMBER 2006. |
Global News...
| AFAM FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, LILLIAN HARRIS RECEIVES | |
| STARTINGBLOC FELLOWSHIP! CONGRATULATIONS LILLIAN! |
| COMING SOON |
| OPEN INVITATION TO APPLY FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP. FOLLOW THIS LINK | |
| TO RETRIEVE AN APPLICATION FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP. |
COMPLETED APPLICATIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO
ADMIN@ADVOCATESFORADOLESCENTMOTHERS.COM.
Advocates for Adolescent Mothers
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| ADVOCATES FOR ADOLESCENT MOTHERS HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE 2012 CLASSY AWARDS. CHECK OUT OUR PUBLISHED STORY! PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE FOR US WHEN THE TIME COMES! |
