Willow Glen Resident

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Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Our Way: Molly Fezell of Willow Glen help start the nonprofit Women Leading Change through the United Way. The organization helps single mothers achieve financial independence.

A fresh start with direction and purpose

By Lynn Crocker

The summer before 17 year-old Nicole Villarreal's senior year in high school, she gave birth to her first daughter, Vanessa. With the support of her mother and her own sheer determination, Villarreal graduated from high school the following school year but quickly thereafter entered into an abusive marriage and had another daughter, Catalina. After the death of her own mother and with no resources available, Villarreal followed her husband from their home in Waco, Texas, to San Jose. Eventually she left her husband, and the young mother set out on her own with her two daughters.

As the years progressed, she worked hard to support her family, but her lack of education and the resulting low-paying jobs coupled with the high cost of living in the Bay Area left her struggling to make ends meet.

Villarreal's story is not unique. A 2004 study by the Santa Clara County Office of Women's Advocacy concludes that a single mother with two children needs to earn at least $34.36 per hour just to provide basic needs such as food, shelter and child care. As a result, 45 percent of single-mother households in Santa Clara County fall below self-sufficiency standards, with many struggling to get by on barely more than $7.50 per hour minimum wage.

These startling statistics prompted the United Way Silicon Valley to implement a new program called Women Leading Change, and Villarreal counts herself lucky to be among the program's inaugural class.

"I learned about the program though the [Santa Clara County] Housing Authority and was really excited by the opportunity to work to improve my circumstances," she says.

Villarreal, along with 47 other single mothers, entered the three-year program in 2005. During the past two years, the group has participated in classes and support sessions that taught financial literacy. The classes include how to save, create and stick to a budget, build credit and make smart investments. In addition they learned how to set and achieve goals and participated in roundtable discussions involving health and nutrition, parenting and self-esteem topics.

As part of the program the women were required to establish and make regular deposits into a 2:1 matched savings account. The savings account offers the women $2 for every dollar they save. Once they have completed the program, funds in this account can be used to buy a house, start a small business, obtain a college degree or advanced training or for deposit into a 401(k) retirement plan.

Making a difference

According to one of the program founders, Willow Glen resident Molly Fezell, Women Leading Change is a network of professional women dedicated to helping single mothers overcome poverty and increase self-sufficiency.

"This program is about long-term solutions. We are not just helping mothers get by today but involving them in a program that will ensure their future success," Fezell says. "Through Women Leading Change we are moving a large portion of our community forward and hopefully breaking the cycle of poverty."

The program is supported by private donations, as well as corporate sponsors. To become a founding member, donors are asked to make a minimum annual gift of $5,000 and to commit to this annual donation for a total of three years.

"The financial donations are used to support the program including training classes, savings match and case management," Fezell says. "We ask for a commitment of three years from our donors because that is how long it takes one mother to go through the program."

While further involvement is not required, Fezell says many of the female founding members enjoy interacting with the single mothers in the program and oftentimes find themselves in mentorship roles.

"We try to expose the moms to things they wouldn't normally be exposed to and connect them with successful women in our community," she says. "It's a very rewarding experience for everyone."

Villarreal, who recently graduated from college with a degree in psychology, says she entered the program not just for herself but to be an example for her daughters, who are now 15 and 13 years old.

"They are proud of me," she says, "and they know how important it is to me that they not just finish high school but go on to college."

In the future, Villarreal is interested in attending graduate school and being a mentor for other women entering the program.

"It has really changed my life," she said.

For more information about the Women Leading Change program, contact Amari Romero-Thomas at 408.345.4371.