We're Going Virtual! One by One is now able to serve women all across the US!

Nationwide, 4 out of 10 children are born to single mothers. Many of these moms weren’t expecting to become pregnant and are facing pregnancy and motherhood alone – without the support of family or their babies’ fathers.

But what if we could provide a trained mentor to each one of these moms? A mentor who would offer friendship, support, parent education, and other resources the mom might need, including connection to a local church and other organizations that could help with food, housing, transportation, child care, job training, and counseling. A mentor who would let the mom know that she’s not in this alone. A mentor who could provide not only advice but also a shoulder to cry on, a safe place to be vulnerable. A mentor who will be there with her at least until her child turns one.

Now we can.

One by One is excited to announce the launch of our virtual mentoring ministry where we can provide a virtual mentor to any expecting or new mom in the US, regardless of her geographical location.

Why a virtual ministry? Women from across America were calling and asking if we had One by One programs in their areas. We decided to leverage the work we did serving moms virtually during COVID to create a program to serve moms not in our geographical areas.

What does that look like for a mentor?

We provide our virtual mentors the same evidence-based training that our in-person moms receive. There is no charge for training or the materials. We give each mentor lesson plans and access to additional resources so she is prepared for each meeting with her assigned mom. Mentors will still touch base with their matched moms weekly via text/phone, but their monthly meetings will be virtual – using FaceTime, Zoom, or another platform. Each mom and mentor will decide the platform that works best for them based on the mom’s access. Each mentor and mom will meet throughout the mom’s pregnancy and at least until her child turns one.

What does this program look like for the mom?

If you’re a mom, you know becoming a mom is amazing, scary, and crazy – often all at once! We match each mom with a trained mentor who works just with her. In a nutshell – one mentor plus one mom, talking once a week, meeting once a month, until baby turns one.

The mentor is someone the mom can reach out to who will listen to her without judgment. Someone who will provide support and sound advice. Someone who will help her understand her baby’s needs as well as what she needs to do to ensure her baby is growing and developing – physically, emotionally, and mentally – as he or she should be. Someone who can be there when she second-guesses her decisions. Someone who can help her connect with other resources in her community to assist with spiritual, emotional, and tangible physical needs.

There is no cost for moms to participate in our program. Once we match a mom to a mentor, we will send the mom a “Blessing Box” containing her curriculum; “Hello, Little One” memory book; and a small gift. We mail the blessing boxes quarterly (plus a special box the month of the baby’s birth). After completing our Year 1 program, each mom and mentor match can decide to continue with the Year 2 program, our discipleship program (which can run concurrently with the Year 1 or Year 2 programs), or exit the program.

So we’re ready to go. But we need you.

We are accepting applications from Christian women who would like to serve as virtual (or in-person) mentors to new moms. Interested in more information on the virtual program? Click here. Interested in applying to serve as a mentor? Click here. Have more questions? Click here.

If you’re a mom interested in working with a One by One mentor, keep an eye on this space. We will begin accepting applications from moms on May 1 at www.onebyoneusa.org. You can learn more about our program by clicking here.

At One by One, we want each mom to feel loved and valued and to have the tools she needs to become a good mom to her child. We’re always excited to expand our ministry into new locations. If you’re interested in bringing One by One to your area, click here. But we’re so happy that we now have this virtual ministry to provide women to mentor and educate new moms to parent well regardless of where the moms live, and we thank everyone who has supported us in our goal to get here.