An Amazingly Effective Support System for Single Moms

Kari LeVan was 22-years-old when she packed her belongings into a friend's car and drove from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, to the Twin Cities. She was fleeing a violent relationship with her ex-husband and a small town that offered little economic opportunity. She had $40 in cash and a six-month old daughter, Marina.

In Minneapolis, LeVan tried to pursue her dream of becoming a singer, taking every gig she could find—including one with an '80s cover band—and attending classes at Music Tech, now known as the McNally Smith College of Music. But she was living in a dangerous neighborhood, and trying to juggle work, school, and an energetic baby. She felt utterly overwhelmed. "I needed more emotional support," LeVan says now. She found that support when she was accepted to the Jeremiah Program.