LAPLACE — Their plans through January are ambitious.

The goals include a Kids Empowerment Lock-In, a Single Parent 6-week Series (which will include weekly dinners and childcare later this fall) and an Employment Seminar in January, when refurbished computers will be given away to aid with employment skills and employment searches.

Their call is simple: If you are an employed single parent caught in the “governmental gap” of working poor or underemployed who resides in St. John or St. Charles Parish, make sure to register at AssistanceForSingleParents.org and follow AFSP on their two Facebook pages.

Assistance For Single Parents is a non-profit assisting employed single parents and their children with supportive services, empowerment and resource referrals.

“With single parenting on the rise in our community, as well across the country, we truly appreciate the outpouring of support in recognizing the value of our work in assisting and empowering single parents and their children,” said Karla Yent, board member.

“Single parents are alone doing the parental job that was designed for two people with usually two incomes. Their daily struggles undoubtedly in some ways trickle down and affect his or her children.”

Yent said too many people think all needs of a single parent are financial, adding a single parent might just need someone to talk to who provides a little encouragement.

Those who would like to learn more about or volunteer with the organization can call executive director Debra Rieder at 985-233-1173 or email AssistanceForSingleParents@gmail.com.

According to Rieder, the organization hosted an extremely successful third annual School Uniform Giveaway this summer at the St. John the Baptist Parish library in LaPlace.

The first 150 registered children received a new school uniform, and all participants were able to shop in the gently used uniform section.

“We want to thank everyone who dropped of their gently used school items,” Rieder said. “We collected more than 2,500 uniform shirts, skirts, shorts, pants, PE clothes, lunch kits, backpacks, belts and other miscellaneous school items. Our goal was to have every child receive a minimum of three complete uniforms if possible, depending upon the donated sizes.”

Rieder said the Uniform Giveaway and all programs would not be possible without the hard work of the amazing “200 plus volunteer hours” and generous support of sponsors St. John United Way, Bunge, Marathon Petroleum, Nalco Champion an Ecolab Company, First National Bank USA, IMTT, The Mosaic Company, Sicily’s Italian Buffet, Team Tasha, Hamada Orthodontics, Cypress Property Management and individual donations.

Rieder said a recent Assistance For Single Parents Facebook post collected more than a million views and 15,000 shares.

“We had people all over the country registering with our organization requesting assistance with school uniforms,” Rieder said. “I wish we could have helped them all.”