A Grapevine nonprofit offers single moms housing and resources to establish their careers and become self-sufficient.
Why it matters: Unaffordable childcare and changing government benefits are hard on two-parent households and even tougher on households led by single moms.
The big picture: The Gatehouse has served nearly 800 women and children since 2015, with a goal of helping their families achieve “permanent self-sustainability.”
- The nonprofit’s program director, Chelsea Hinman, tells Axios it has adapted to women’s changing needs over the years, from helping them overcome hardships to helping them navigate the post-COVID work environment.
The intrigue: The Gatehouse sits on 61 acres in Grapevine with 24-7 security, 96 apartments, a playground, fishing pond and picnic area.
- Participants receive a fully furnished rent-free apartment, along with child care help, career coaching, financial literacy training, legal support and mental health counseling.
Zoom in: Josie Medina, a single mom, lived on the Gatehouse campus while completing her nursing degree at UT Arlington.
- She now works as a nurse in Dallas and has her own apartment with her son, who is 16 years old.
- “To be here now, it is just what I always envisioned: me as a nurse walking down the hallways,” Medina tells Axios. “It’s the only badge I’ve always wanted to wear.”
How it works: The women typically stay up to 2 1/2 years and can choose from the education, vocation and career tracks.
- Single moms in the education track can finish their bachelor’s or master’s degree while their children attend schools in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD.
- In the career track, unemployed and underemployed women can plan for a more stable career path.
- The vocational track — new this year — helps women pursuing trade school or an associate’s degree in a STEM field.
The fine print: The nonprofit’s funding comes from corporations, foundations and individual donors…