PHOENIX, Ariz. In Arizona, one in four families are led by single mothers, and nearly half of new moms skip critical postpartum checkups due to barriers like childcare, transportation, and cost. These gaps put thousands of women at risk, but strength shouldn’t mean facing hardship alone. That’s why two local nonprofits, Mother’s Grace and Hope Women’s Center, are uniting to help women move from crisis to confidence, and from survival to resilience.

Michelle Moore, founder of Mother’s Grace, built her organization on speed and responsiveness. When a mother faces an acute crisis—medical, financial, or otherwise—Mother’s Grace steps in with immediate relief. Hope Women’s Center has earned its reputation for the steady work of rebuilding. Its CEO, Tammy Abernethy, describes their model as “a long walk beside women who often feel utterly alone.”

“This partnership represents the best of what can happen when two missions align,” Abernethy said. “Mother’s Grace meets moms in the middle of their storms, and Hope Women’s Center helps them step into the calm after through mentoring, education, counseling, and community. Together, we ensure no mother has to walk this journey alone.”

That alignment is visible in a series of initiatives that span the emotional and practical needs of motherhood:

• Individual grant support — Beyond funding programs, Mother’s Grace now sponsors mothers directly as they begin their journey with Hope Women’s Center.

• Collaborative holiday program — A December celebration where 25 women and volunteers will gather for a catered meal, gifts, and simple pampering. Participants also access Hope’s Christmas Boutique, where they “shop” for children’s gifts using points earned in the program.

• Joint programming and wrap-around services — A web of resources that includes financial relief, job training, mentoring, counseling, and ongoing material aid, ensuring mothers are supported from their first moment of crisis through long-term transformation.

The need is urgent. Last year, Hope Women’s Center welcomed more than 2,200 women and teen girls, the most in its 40-year history and nearly 30 percent more than the year before. Mother’s Grace, meanwhile, has left a global fingerprint: partnerships with more than 33 organizations across three continents, direct impact for over 3,000 families, and facilities built for prenatal care and housing from Arizona to India to Africa. Yet 85 percent of its dollars remain local, focused on Arizona families.

For local women like Shaunti, that continuum of care has been life-saving. After an acute crisis, she found stability through Mother’s Grace. Today, she is enrolled in Hope Women’s Center’s programs, learning job skills, regaining confidence, and beginning to see a future she once thought impossible.

“I don’t know where I would be without this support,” Shaunti said. “Mother’s Grace carried me through when I was broken, and Hope Women’s Center is teaching me how to stand tall again. This collaboration means moms like me get a real second chance.”

For Moore, the partnership crystallizes her vision of what true care should mean. “We have always stepped in during the darkest moments,” she said. “By partnering with Hope Women’s Center, we can now help ensure those moments become the foundation for lifelong transformation. This is the difference between surviving and truly thriving.”

The organizations expect to reach between 150 and 500 mothers annually through this joint effort, a number that could transform entire communities as children and families benefit from more stable, empowered households. Their first milestone, the holiday program, launches this December.

Community members are invited to play a role in the movement:

• Donate: Support grants, material aid, and programs.

• Volunteer: Mentor, tutor, or lend a hand at events.

• Engage: Attend or host events, contribute to the holiday program, or stock the Christmas Boutique.

• Stay connected: Sign up for newsletters, follow on social media, and share the mission.

This collaboration goes beyond charity. It’s a model for bridging the gap from crisis to confidence, from brokenness to hope—rewriting the script for Arizona mothers when the stakes have never been higher.

For more information, visit mothers-grace.org or hopewomenscenter.org.