CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – Single Mom Strong, a nonprofit organization, has opened its Holiday Adopt-a-Family Registration. Registration forms are available from Single Mom Strong on its website at singlemomstrong.org through Nov. 7 for single mothers who are in need and reside in the greater Sacramento area.

Single Mom Strong expects to "adopt" at least 60 families this year, according to the organization’s founder and executive director Tara Taylo, and she encourages those in need to complete the registration form as soon as possible.

Selected families, notified no later than Dec. 7, typically receive a holiday meal, a gift for mom and multiple items of "need" and "want" for each child, Taylor said.

In other news, the annual Single Mom Strong Chicken Pot Pie Fundraiser is being held with pre-orders accepted through Oct. 19.

A minimum donation of $25 for an individual pot pie was suggested by the nonprofit Single Mom Strong organization to help the center empower single mothers and their children through a wide variety of individual enrichment, encouragement and educational programs, according to Taylor.

Funds are also to be used to support Single Mom Strong’s Pre-Employment Coaching and Career Clothing Closet for single mothers and its EmpowerME Preschool and Childcare programs for children.

Single Mom Strong had started its annual chicken pot pie fundraiser in 2020 in response to the COVID epidemic, offering a ready-to-bake, tasty meal for families, all while helping a worthy cause, Taylor said.

“We sold 180 pot pies during in 2020, and the public’s ongoing response and support of this fundraiser, has grown steadily ever since,” she said. “We’re expecting to make 280 individual 9-inch chicken pot pies this year.”

At press time, Taylor said she could not provide a preliminary estimate of the total funds which the pot pie donations would raise.

The Citrus Heights City Council declined to approve an application on Oct. 9 by Single Mom Strong of $13,276 for the creation of a school database and marketing of its existing programs.

The Citrus Heights City Council considered the fiscal year 2024-2025 allocations for the Non-Profit Community Support fund, which offers limited one-time funding to organizations serving Citrus Heights residents.

In its application presentation to City Council, Taylor said their funding applications had been approved in three previous years and those requests by Single Mom Strong led to long-term benefits.

Taylor did not respond by press time to a request for comment as to what steps Single Mom Strong will take to address the lack of one-time funding from the city of Citrus Heights under its Non-Profit Community Support Fund.

Taylor said each chicken pot pie is made by hand from a traditional, church-inspired and tested recipe.

Once the Oct. 19 deadline to order single and multiple pies closed, two crews of 14 people began to work in multiple shifts at Empowerment Center facility in Citrus Heights to begin making the pies for pick up or delivery.

Last year, members of the Sacramento chapter of Zeta Phi Alpha sorority rolled out and prepared pastry crust, filling each pie with a special mix of seasoned, diced chicken and freshly cut vegetable portions in a savory filling.

“It’s quite an assembly line, and all our volunteers admittedly have a lot of fun in proudly preparing each and every pie,” Taylor said.

The completed pies are then refrigerated and ready for drive-up pickup or home delivery with an order of five or more pies within 20 miles of the center.

“Many of the single moms who participate in the Empowerment Center programs also help with home deliveries,” Taylor said.

The Empowerment Center, by Single Mom Strong, and EmpowerME Preschool & Chidcare are located at 7525 Auburn Blvd., Suite 5, Citrus Heights. For more information about the Holiday Adopt-a-Family program, call 916-735-5350 or visit: https://www.singlemomstrong.org.