Today in our lobby, we ended up in one of those conversations that starts silly and ends up telling the truth. We were talking about cornbread — specifically, what it “goes with.”For some of the white folks in the room, cornbread belongs next to chili or a pot...
I grew up in a world where the word “home” was temporary and the word “family” was complicated. From the moment I entered the foster care system at age 3 I was abused, malnourished and belittled. From being abused I ended up pregnant at the...
To me success looks like being happy with yourself and your life is growing. Doing things you thought you couldn’t do until you do them. Meeting your goals in life no matter how long it takes just making yourself proud of the person you are and the one you are...
My Journey with Woman’s Co-op began in 2006 when I became a single mother. Co-op helped me become who I am in the world today. Through the programs I participated in, the classes I attended, and—most importantly—the nonjudgmental support I received from staff...
This is how the system treated me, and overwhelmed single mother. I have been being harassed with Children’s Protective Services for years. When my ten-year-old daughter was a baby, I took a trip with her to Pennsylvania and was even visited by CPS there. That case...
As the concept of retiring in a few years from Woman’s Co-op approaches, people have started to talk to me about legacy. About winding things down. About what comes next for me. I understand the question—but I’ve never fully felt it in the way it’s often asked. Yes,...
(Here’s the thing when you’re born into something you can’t control you have to develop the right mindset to pull yourself out to have a better future.) I was born into a small loving family mother, father and self. I didn’t know I was poor/ low class I only knew...
My Story My name is Iesha Moody. I’m a mother of 4. I had my first baby girl Spirit at the age of 16. I was born and raised in Chicago Il. Until I had my Babygirl which was born in battle creek my life before then was just a mess. I had nothing my mother was on drugs...
At Woman’s Co-op, we believe every woman and family has a story worth telling. The following reflections come directly from members we serve — in their own words. They speak about what support means, what parenting and success look like, and how community can make all...
We often hear the saying, “Stop pulling the bodies out of the river and walk upstream to see why they are falling in.” This metaphor captivates a deep meaning for Woman’s Co-op. At Co-op, we train our team not only to recognize the current but also to...
