Fulfilling critical needs.
When Jaycina Almond got pregnant at age 20, she was working at AmericasMart, had no car, shared an apartment with two roommates and couldn’t afford the specialists she needed for her high-risk pregnancy. Fortunately, her baby’s father stepped up and helped with medical and living expenses.
“Other single women aren’t so lucky,” says Almond, a professional model who launched a GoFundMe campaign in 2019 from her Brookhaven apartment with the hopes of raising $25,000 to start an organization to provide needy moms with emergency assistance for rent, utilities, food gift cards and diapers. The total topped six figures, and The Tender Foundation and Diaper Bank was launched in 2019 and up and running in 2020, serving women in the Atlanta metro community. COVID-19 further exacerbated the need for help. The women are carefully vetted for financial assistance, but the Diaper Bank has no eligibility requirements.
“Mothers are often forced to stretch their supply by changing less often or even reusing diapers,” Almond says. “Neither is a healthy option. Plus, daycare centers require parents to provide up to 10 diapers a day for infants.”
Last year, a homeless woman with a young son asked for help with her first month’s rent for an apartment. “She had saved enough for the deposit but couldn’t move in without financial aid,” says Almond. “We were able to provide the stability she needed, and she has never had to ask again.”
The organization relies completely on donations from both individuals and corporate sponsors.
For more information, visit thetenderfoundation.com.
