“Surreal.” That’s the word that model, writer, and the inspiring founder of The Tender Foundation, Jaycina Almond, uses to describe being part of the adidas 2025 Honoring Black Excellence (HBE) program. “I’m so grateful to be named one of the Honorees for 2025. I’m a Black girl from Kentucky who got pregnant at 20, I’m not supposed to be sitting here having this conversation with you,” she told EBONY.
The 2025 HBE program recognizes individual expressions of creativity and groups who have shown resilience, strength and brilliance of Black excellence in their efforts. This year’s honorees also include the Quilters of Gee’s Bend.
To celebrate Almond’s impact with the Tender Foundation, adidas HBE has debuted a moving short film chronicling her journey and the Tender Foundation’s mission to redefine narratives surrounding Black motherhood. For Women’s History Month, EBONY chatted with Almond about her award and erasing the stigma that the phrase “single mothers” sometimes brings up.
EBONY: Congratulations on this honor.
Jaycina Almond: Receiving such recognition on such a large scale is so surreal! When you are in the thick of it, there’s always more you feel like you could be and should be doing. I want to make sure all our families stay housed, everybody has enough for groceries this month, and all the things are right. But being named one of the adidas HBE Honorees made me reflect on everything we’ve been able to accomplish and reflect on how my community and my village are the folks who made it possible for me to be where I am today.
What event motivated you to start The Tender Foundation? Was it part of a personal journey?
Tender is definitely the culmination of my personal experience. My mom was a single mom for the first half of my childhood, and then she was stuck in a bad relationship because she couldn’t support three girls on her own. I got pregnant pretty young, at 20, and I was a single mom for the first several years of my daughter’s life. I think I just wanted to do something for women like me.
How does the organization assist and empower single mothers?
At Tender, we’re building a safety net for single moms living on the margins here in Atlanta so that they can invest in what they need. From housing to keeping the fridge stocked and everything in between, we offer emergency bill pay assistance with rent, utilities and childcare costs. We also operate a Diaper Bank where all families can get diapers, wipes and formula for free, and we also run a guaranteed income program called The Bridge, where our mamas receive monthly cash payments for a full year – no strings attached. We truly do believe in trust-based solutions that are rooted in dignity.
How will the adidas award benefit your efforts?
There’s always more we want to do but only so many dollars in the bank to do it with. Receiving this award not only allows us to reach more mamas with direct assistance, it also helps raise awareness to destigmatize poverty and single motherhood. There’s no shame in being a single mom, there’s no shame in living paycheck to paycheck, these things are not individual failures.
What can we as a society do to support single mothers?
I think the first thing that we have to do collectively is to remove the stigma and the shame behind the connotation of being a single mom. Some women choose to be single parents, some women lose their partners, and other times it simply doesn’t work out and there’s this overarching belief in society when you hear a woman say she is a single mom–there is some type of moral deficiency, or she is irresponsible.
Then, more practically, I think we have to move away from how individualized our world is. Show up and offer a single mom community. It’s not always easy or comfortable to truly be in community with the folks around you, but when you do build community, you know if you need anything, your people have your back. Offer to meal prep, get her car cleaned and do the grocery shopping; all of these things could lighten the load.
“Single mothers” sounds so dated. Is there better terminology or thought to describe these incredible women who are raising children on their own?
I feel like “single mothers ” sound dated because of all the stereotyping that phrase has become a container for. I don’t know if there is a better phrase or if the stigma will just follow, right? Some people have used solo parent or independent parents for single parents, so there are options.
Visit, thetenderfoundation.com for more information on how to support this worthy cause.
