The IndieMom Initiative
As each IndieMom rises she alters the trajectory of her children's lives, initiating a new family legacy of health, hope and wholeness.
I will not rescue you,
For you are not powerless.
I will not fix you,
For you are not broken.
I will not heal you,
For I see you , in your wholeness.
I will walk with you through the darkness
As you remember your light.
A Medicine Woman's Prayer
An IndieMom's Journey
About Me
The IndieMom Initiative was first conceived sitting at a table in downtown Denver discussing the problem of housing for single moms over a plate of salmon. It was 2018, I was about two years post divorce, and was rounding out the most dangerous leg of my separation abuse journey.
For me, not unlike many women who chose to leave abusive relationships, what happened post-divorce proved to be the most challenging. There's something about losing control over someone that really sends those needing that control into a fiery downward spiral of desperation. And.. not unlike many children, mine were not spared from the violence that ensued.
It's taken me the past five years to circle back around to The IndieMom Initiative. In a way you could say that she has been incubating inside me all this time. Little post-it notes about workshops I want to hold alongside subpoenas needing to be filed. A Canva site full of ideas while my body is stuck in survival mode. Her Instagram page popping in and back out of the public eye for fear of safety. Five years of living the in-between.
What I've found as I've navigated the messy middle is this:
- Nobody really gets it. They want to, but they don't.
- There are a lot of services provided to those who are under the poverty line, close to none for those of us above it (sometimes just barely).
- Child Support orders aren't as enforceable as we think they should be, and can actually be used against you when trying to get support.
There's a gap just beyond leaving, and right before freedom, that needs a bridge.
I've navigated this gap since leaving my husband in 2014. Truth be told, it's been ugly. I've been homeless. I've declared bankruptcy. I've had my car repo'ed. I've been laid off from jobs because of financial abuse. I've had attorneys quit on me when the money ran out. I've had to learn how to work with Child Protective Services, Counselors, the Police, the Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Court System. I've come to learn that this gap is quite possibly Hell itself.
It was 2021 and my Dad sent me a text. "Do you know that song by Tom Petty?"
"What song?" I asked
"I won't back down." he texted. "That's your song. That's the one that always reminds me of you."
For those that haven't heard it, listen to it. It could quite possibly be the IndieMom’s Anthem.
When you walk a path through Hell, you change. Sometimes I grieve the girl that died on the other side, and sometimes I am grateful just to have made it through. Although there are days I think I might still be sitting on his doorstep, I sure as hell won't ever back down.
I've tried to describe this journey a million different ways, but it always comes back the same: a place devoid of Love where children suffer and there is no freedom. It sounds dark, and trust me - without a bridge leading to the light - it is.
Without a bridge, the gap would remain uncharted. Leaving each of us to navigate it all alone. Isolation leading to desperation; forcing us to give up entirely. But with a bridge, we can all walk together. Holding each other up, sharing our secrets, cheering each other on and fighting as one.
That's how I know the IndieMom Initiative has a place in this world.
I can't save you. I don’t even want to save you.
What I can do is help you across. I can walk with you as you find better, more secure, footing. Think of the change we could create together if we were all standing on solid ground again. This is the purpose of The IndieMom Initiative.
Bloom where you are planted.
Susan Klein
Founder
CEO
Who We Are
What’s an IndieMom anyway?
It’s a state of mind, a perception shift. It’s a choice to move away from the stigma of single-motherhood and towards a life full of potential. She’s a woman who has or is raising kids on her own. She’s against the grain. She doesn’t take life at face value. All she needs is the support and education to make the leap to a life of her own design!
The IndieMom Initiative is a place where healthy interdependence between all types of people, from all walks of life, is cultivated.
It is a safe haven for IndieMoms and children alike.
It is also a safe space for grandparents, aunties and uncles, teachers, court officials, friends and allies to learn and to grow.
Together we can create widespread and lasting change.