Mother’s Day Roundtable: Lifting Up Voices in Jefferson County
- Roxy Dunaway
- May 16
- 2 min read
In honor of Mother’s Day, U.S. Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen visited Jefferson County Head Start to hear directly from mothers about what it means to raise children while navigating systems like Head Start, SNAP, and Medicaid. These programs are often lifelines, providing food security, healthcare, diapers, and early childhood education, and play a critical role in helping families across Jefferson County thrive.
The conversation, hosted in partnership with our friends at WeeCycle, gave local moms the chance to speak openly about how these programs have helped their families, and what could be at stake for struggling families if these resources were taken away. Among those sharing their stories were several incredible JPP mothers.
These JPP moms showed up with courage and authenticity. They spoke not only about the difficult moments, losing jobs, battling illness, or surviving housing instability, but also about the turning points that gave them hope. They shared how programs like Head Start gave their children a safe place to learn while they pursued job training or returned to school. They talked about the peace of mind that came with Medicaid coverage and the importance of being able to feed their families thanks to SNAP.
But most of all, they shared what happened when someone believed in them.
At JPP, families work one-on-one with coaches to build personalized roadmaps to economic mobility. Whether it’s completing a degree, starting a career, navigating complex health systems, or accessing mental health support, JPP is there every step of the way, not just in moments of crisis, but through every milestone on the journey to self-sufficiency.
These moms are the embodiment of perseverance. Their voices brought depth and humanity to policy discussions that too often feel distant from the people they impact. Their stories underscored a truth we see every day at JPP: when families have access to the right resources and the right support, they don’t just survive, they succeed.
We’re deeply grateful to Congresswoman Pettersen for taking the time to listen, and to all the moms who shared their journeys. We are honored to walk beside them as they create futures rooted in stability, opportunity, and hope.
Click the link below to read the CBS News article and watch footage from the event.
