HARLETON, Texas (KLTV) - J-Star Ministries has helped hundreds of families over the years after disasters, at Christmas or anytime they’re needed. That often includes single parents, so an event has been put together specifically to aid them. It’s called Single Parent Support Day.
J-Star Ministries Founder Patrick Johnson knows how expensive it is to raise a family these days, but for single parents with only one income there may not be enough money to make ends meet. Johnson decided to focus on that issue since:
“Looking over the years of my work with youth behavior issues 95 percent of the students came from single parent homes,” Johnson said.
Johnson says he has pretty much been helping out single parent families all along, but:
“This year me and my wife just sat down and talked about it, and we want to be more intentional this year because we understand everybody’s going through certain struggles or what have you. But I think single parents not having the support, it makes it harder,” Johnson said.
Johnson says they thought up Single Parent Support Day a couple weeks ago. They have been taking donations for about a week, storing them in his new Frankie L. Johnson Disaster Relief Center on J-Star property.
“It takes, obviously, a good bit of finances to put on an even like this. And currently, right now, we have 47 single parents signed up and 146 kids,” Johnson said.
Johnson hasn’t just gathered soap and other cleaning items, he has new vacuum cleaners, dish sets, blankets and towels, and will hold free raffles for attendees giving away things like a washer and dryer.
“By the time it ends there’s no telling what the numbers will be. But I’m confident of this, that we’ll have enough for everybody,” Johnson said.
Johnson did an online survey asking what single parents need and:
“Food was one. So, we’re going to give them Walmart gift cards and let them go buy food,” Johnson said.
“We’re simply trying to do what we can, while we can,” Johnson said.
The event will feature free food and drinks, face painting for children, and door prizes, including restaurant gift cards. Great Clips will provide free haircuts, and several nonprofit organizations will offer information about their services, Johnson said.
Single parents can register by calling (903) 424-1757 or responding to posts on the J-Star Ministries’ Facebook page. Johnson said the event will become an annual program.