LAKELAND, Fla., June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One More Child held a special groundbreaking ceremony this week to kick off its multi-phase campus expansion project, allowing the organization to serve more children and families in need.
Community leaders, volunteers, donors, staff and board members gathered at One More Child’s Joe K. Blanton Campus in Lakeland to celebrate the organization’s expanding global impact on vulnerable children and struggling families since its founding in 1904. The event commemorated and created excitement around a major construction project that will add new housing and training spaces for those in One More Child’s Single Moms program.
The Single Moms program is designed to empower mothers by allowing them to live on campus with their children as they receive mentoring, financial management and parenting classes and additional support with the ultimate goal of long-term independence and self-sufficiency.
“These moms are working – sometimes multiple jobs – just to cover rent and to put food on the table for their children. Yet, many times, they still fall short, “said One More Child President & CEO Stephen Robert. “The percentage of homes with children being raised by a single parent has tripled since the 1960’s. Through this program, we are helping moms break the cycle of poverty and build better futures for themselves and their children.”
The construction of six new single mom homes is part of the initial phase of the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The projected 5-year impact of our Single Moms residential expansion will result in 300 single moms and children served.
The next phase includes the construction of a 23,000 sq.ft. Grounds for Grace Center, a central hub for classes, mentoring, and life-skills training for single moms. The facility will also provide needed space for foster parent licensing, anti-human-trafficking education and other services for the community.
The organization provides services to foster children, hungry children, single moms, struggling families and survivors of human trafficking.
At the groundbreaking event, a proclamation was granted by Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz that officially declared June 17, 2025, as One More Child Day. Mutz praised the organization for its longstanding legacy of service to vulnerable populations, locally and around the world.
About One More Child:
One More Child operates in 26 states and 19 countries around the world, meeting the needs of foster children, hungry children, single moms, struggling families and sex-trafficked children and teens. In 2023, One More Child provided direct services to 250,259 children and individuals while impacting an additional 143,334 individuals through advocacy, trainings, awareness and volunteering. One More Child provided more than 19 million meals nationally and globally. For more information, visit www.onemorechild.org.
- One More Child breaks ground on new homes for single moms
- Grounds for Grace Center (rendering)