Single Parent Support

Her Story / The Foundation of This Pillar

She Was Their Everything

Lavette Renee Butts raised six children. Four boys. Two girls. All on her own. She did this while battling Lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks the body without mercy. She woke up every morning in pain and still packed lunches, attended games, helped with homework, and held her family together.

"She never once made us feel like we were missing anything. When you have a mother like Renee, you don't realize how extraordinary she is until you grow up and try to understand how she did it."

Renee did not have a support network. She did not have an emergency fund. She did not have a community gathering to check on her. She figured it out because she had no other choice, and her love for her children was greater than any obstacle in front of her.

This program exists to give today's single parents what Renee never had. A community that shows up. Resources that actually help. People who understand what it means to carry it all.

6 Children Raised

1 Parent. Always Enough.

7 Grandchildren She Inspired

Lavette Renee Butts with her six children and first grandchild at her 50th birthday celebration

Lavette Renee Butts with her six children and first grandchild / Her 50th birthday celebration

4 Boys 2 Girls Fought Lupus Daily Never Quit

RENEE Parent Network / Community First

You Don't Have to Do This Alone

The RENEE Parent Network brings single parents together every month for real conversations, real support, and real community. No judgment. No politics. Just parents helping parents across San Bernardino County.

Single Moms Group

A safe, consistent space for single mothers to share, connect, and be real with each other. No performance required. Just show up as you are.

Monthly / Second Saturday

Single Dads Group

Single dads are doing it too. This group is for the fathers holding it down on their own. Come talk with other men who get it without anyone having to explain it.

Monthly / Third Saturday

Family Group Sessions

Monthly gatherings where parents and kids come together. Activities, conversation, and community. Because single-parent families deserve to feel like part of something bigger.

Monthly / Fourth Saturday

Youth Group / Kids of Single Parents

A dedicated youth group for children being raised by a single parent. A place where kids can process, connect, and realize they are not alone in their experience either.

Bi-Weekly / Ages 8 to 17

Meeting Locations / San Bernardino County

San Bernardino

Fontana

Rialto

Colton

Ontario

Rancho Cucamonga

Victorville

Highland

Redlands

Riverside

The RENEE Parent Network model is informed by the best practices of Life of a Single Mom and the Single Parent Project. We build on proven frameworks with an Inland Empire heart.

Emergency Assistance Fund / Crisis Support

When You're One Bill Away from the Edge

$500 One-time emergency grants
for single parents in crisis

We know the gap. You make too much for government assistance. Not enough to actually breathe. A car repair, a utility shutoff, a medical bill can be enough to collapse everything. The RENEE Emergency Assistance Fund was built for exactly that moment.

No hoops. No shame. A simple process, a real human reviewing your request, and a decision within 72 hours. Renee would have used this. We built it for the parents just like her.

What the Fund Covers

Rent assistance / late fees

Utility bills / shutoff prevention

Car repairs / registration

Medical copays / prescriptions

Emergency groceries / baby supplies

School fees / childcare deposits

How to Apply

1

Submit the Request Form

Fill out the simple form below. Tell us what you need and why. No need to write an essay. Just be honest. A real person reads every application.

2

Quick Review / 72 Hours

Our team reviews your request within 72 hours. We may follow up with a quick phone call. We are not here to interrogate you. We just want to help the right way.

3

Direct Assistance

Approved grants are paid directly to landlords, utility companies, or vendors on your behalf. This keeps the process clean and accountable for everyone.

4

Follow-Up Resources

After assistance, we connect you with longer-term resources so this is not just a one-time fix. We want you stable, not just surviving this month.

Apply for Emergency Assistance

Funded through community donations. Available to families in San Bernardino County. One grant per household per calendar year.

Annual Back-to-School Drive / Every August

500 Students. Ready to Learn.

Every August, before school starts, the RENEE Foundation hosts a free Back-to-School Drive for single-parent families across the Inland Empire. No child should walk into the first day of school without what they need.

500 Students Served / Year 1 Goal

100% Free to Families

1 Day Annual Event / August

School Supplies

Backpacks filled with grade-appropriate supplies: notebooks, pencils, folders, pens, calculators, and everything the school list requires. No exceptions.

Free Haircuts for Kids

Local barbers and stylists volunteer their time. Every child at the event gets a fresh haircut before the school year starts. Looking good builds confidence.

Uniform Assistance

School uniforms and clothing for kids who need them. Gently used and new items available. Parents can browse and select what fits their child.

Community Resource Fair

Local nonprofits, city agencies, healthcare providers, and employment services set up tables. Parents leave with connections, not just supplies.

School Enrollment Assistance

Volunteers help parents complete enrollment paperwork on the spot. IEPs, free lunch applications, sports registration. We sit down and do it together.

Tech and Tools

When available: donated laptops, tablets, and hotspots for students who need them. Because education in 2025 requires connectivity, not just books.

Volunteer for the Drive

We need barbers, volunteers, donors, and community partners to make this happen every August. Sign up below.

Sign Up to Help

Holiday Programs / No Child Left Out

Every Holiday. Every Family.

The holidays hit different when you're doing it alone. The RENEE Foundation makes sure every single-parent family has something to celebrate throughout the year. No child should feel like they missed out because of their circumstances.

🦃

Thanksgiving Meal Distribution

Full Thanksgiving meal boxes distributed the week before Thanksgiving
Turkey, sides, and dessert for the whole family
Pickup locations throughout San Bernardino County
Hot meal option for families without kitchen access
Volunteer opportunities for community members

🎁

Christmas Gift Program

Every child in a registered single-parent family receives gifts
Parents shop a private gift room and choose for their own kids
Gifts wrapped and ready for Christmas morning
Age-appropriate selections: toys, books, clothes, electronics
No child walks away empty-handed. Period.

🐰

Easter Celebration

Community Easter celebration and egg hunt for kids
Baskets with treats, books, and supplies for each child
Family photos and activities
Free meal and community connection
Spring resource fair alongside the celebration

🌸

Mother's Day / Father's Day Recognition

Annual appreciation events honoring single moms and dads separately
Gifts, meals, and a moment to be celebrated
Kids help surprise their parent with a special experience
Partnered with local salons, barbershops, and restaurants
In honor of Renee: every single parent deserves to feel loved

Parenting Workshops / Knowledge is Power

Free Workshops for Real Life

Every workshop in this series is built around the actual challenges single parents face. No filler. No generic advice. Real tools you can use the next day. All workshops are free, held in the community, and include childcare when available.

Financial Literacy for Single Parents

Budgeting on one income. Building credit. Emergency funds. Tax credits you are probably leaving on the table. Practical, not overwhelming.

Co-Parenting Communication

How to communicate with a difficult co-parent without it affecting the kids. Boundaries, documentation, legal tools available to you in California.

Self-Care and Mental Health

You cannot pour from an empty cup. This workshop addresses the real mental health toll of single parenting and gives you tools that actually fit your schedule.

College Planning for Your Kids

FAFSA, financial aid, college access programs in the Inland Empire. Learn how to help your child get to college even when the family budget is tight.

Legal Rights and Resources

Custody rights, child support enforcement, tenant protections, public benefits you qualify for. Know your rights as a single parent in California.

Career and Job Advancement

Resume building, interview prep, job training programs, and how to ask for what you are worth. Built for parents returning to work or climbing at work.

Sample Monthly Workshop Calendar

January Financial Literacy: New Year Money Reset In-Person

February Self-Care and Mental Health for Parents Hybrid

March Legal Rights: Know What You're Owed In-Person

April Co-Parenting Communication Strategies In-Person

May Career Advancement: Getting Paid What You're Worth Hybrid

June College Planning: FAFSA and Financial Aid In-Person

September Back to School Budgeting for Single Parents Hybrid

November Holiday Survival: Money, Family, and Sanity In-Person

RENEE Family Events / Fun. Real. Together.

Building Community, Not Just Programs

Workshops and grants matter. But so does just having a good day with your family around people who get it. The RENEE Family Events are about joy. Simple, real, Inland Empire joy.

Quarterly / Year-Round

Family Fun Days

BBQs, park days, and movie nights for single-parent families. Bring your kids. Bring yourself. Leave with new friends and a full stomach. Held throughout San Bernardino County quarterly.

Free / All Ages

Annual / Summer

RENEE Family Picnic

The anchor event of the year. A full-day celebration with food, music, activities, and community. Named in honor of Renee, who loved being surrounded by family. Every single-parent family in our network is invited.

Annual / Free / Rain or Shine

Seasonal / Youth Focused

Youth Sports Clinics

Led by Shareece and his network of current and former athletes, these clinics give kids the opportunity to learn fundamentals, get coached by real pros, and feel what it is like to be on a team. Open to all kids in single-parent families.

Football / Basketball / Multi-Sport

Annual / High School Families

College Campus Tours

Many kids in the Inland Empire have never set foot on a college campus. We change that. Annual college tour days for families with high schoolers. Transportation provided. UC and Cal State campuses in Southern California.

Grades 9-12 / Free Transport

A Note from Shareece

My mom never got to see me play in the NFL. But she is the reason I made it there. Everything she sacrificed alone, every school night, every weekend, every holiday she stretched to make special, that is what I am honoring with every one of these events. If I can give one single parent in the Inland Empire a moment to exhale, a moment where their kids are laughing and they can just breathe, that is Renee's legacy living on. Come out. Bring your family. We are here.

Resource Hub / Know What's Available to You

Local Resources for Inland Empire Families

Single parents carry enough. You should not have to spend hours researching what help exists. Here are the programs and organizations we connect families with throughout San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire. Our team can help you navigate any of these at no cost.

Get Involved / Request Help

We're Here. Reach Out.

Whether you are a single parent who needs support or a community member who wants to give back, this is the form for you. No request is too small. No offer to help is too big.

Our team responds within 48 hours on business days. If this is an emergency situation, please call 211 for immediate resources.

Single Parents Seeking Support

Emergency assistance applications, network group registration, workshop enrollment, holiday program sign-up.

Volunteers and Community Partners

Back-to-school drive volunteers, workshop facilitators, barbers, event sponsors, corporate partnerships.

Donors Supporting the Fund

Emergency assistance fund contributions, back-to-school drive sponsorships, holiday program donations.

Send Us a Message

Your Name

Email Address

Phone Number

City / Community

I Am Reaching Out Because

Number of Children in Household

Your Message

Your information is private and never shared. We respond within 48 business hours. Emergency situations: call 211 for immediate help.

Year 1 Impact Goals / What We're Building Toward

This is What Success Looks Like

We are not a charity that exists on paper. Every number below is a family. A parent who got a moment to breathe. A child who walked into school ready. A community that showed up for itself.

500

Students at Back-to-School Drive

Fully supplied and ready for the school year. No child turned away.

200

Single Parents in the Network

Enrolled in monthly support groups across San Bernardino County.

$50K

Emergency Assistance Distributed

100+ families helped through the emergency grant fund.

12

Free Workshops Delivered

Monthly workshops serving parents with real tools and knowledge.

4

Family Fun Days Hosted

Quarterly events giving families connection and community.

300

Kids at Holiday Programs

Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter celebrations for single-parent families.

150

Youth in Sports Clinics

Led by Shareece and athlete volunteers throughout the Inland Empire.

50

Families on College Tours

High school students visiting UC and Cal State campuses for the first time.

How You Make This Possible

Every back-to-school backpack, every emergency grant, every holiday gift is funded by donations from this community. The RENEE Foundation operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Berhe Group Home, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contributions are tax-deductible and go directly to programs.

Donate in Renee's Name