Post Author
Emily Blevins
Communications Director
When Tameka Brown was in high school, she and her best friend had dreams of going to college together. “She was my best friend. She was everything to me. We were going to go to college and live together. Then she got pregnant, and she didn’t have any resources or support, so she dropped out,” says Tameka. “I saw how she was treated by our community, and it was at that moment that everything changed for me.”
A few years later, when Tameka was in college, she developed the concept for H.E.A.R.T.S. as part of a class assignment. Embedded within the DNA for H.E.A.R.T.S. is the memory of her best friend and the desire to help teen moms access the care, resources, and social connections they need in one of life’s most challenging moments.
“So often, teen mothers face extreme stigma and social isolation,” says Tameka. “But at the end of the day, they’re youth with adult responsibilities and they deserve to be loved and supported.”
It wasn’t until 2011 that H.E.A.R.T.S. transformed from a curriculum into an organization making a lasting impact on the lives of young mothers. “We started small, but we’ve been growing and growing,” says Tameka. “We started as an LLC but then reorganized as a nonprofit in 2012.”
Tameka and her staff of three operate a range of support initiatives, one of which is LoveBug Children’s Closet, which provides baby clothes to H.E.A.R.T.S. program participants, community members, and other organizations at low or no cost. “Lovebug Children’s Closet actually began as bins of baby swag stowed away in Costco bins in the back of my van,” says Tameka. “I would drive around to high schools around Durham where young mothers would be able to shop for their children.” Now, LoveBug Children’s Closet occupies two rooms in the H.E.A.R.T.S. office just outside of downtown Durham. The closet also has a library of books and an on-site play area to help children develop their motor and reading skills while their parents shop.
In addition to LoveBug Children’s Closet, H.E.A.R.T.S. also has a pantry for parents that provides things like diapers, formula, baby blankets, and even hygiene and household items. Tameka says that replenishing the pantry’s personal care items costs about $1,400 per month. “Maternal health isn’t just about the baby,” says Tameka. “It’s about the moms, too. Their physical and emotional health is so important, so we make sure that we’re able to provide care to them as well.”
The nonprofit also provides life skills classes on the weekend. “We cover things like budgeting, and we have participants meet with advocacy coaches so they’re able to develop the skills and supports they need to be effective parents,” says Tameka. In addition to these classes, H.E.A.R.T.S. provides other avenues for social connection, like their event called “BlessFest” to celebrate participants and other mothers local in the community. “The social isolation teen mothers face is really detrimental to their health and well-being, so H.E.A.R.T.S. intentionally fosters those peer-to-peer relationships,” says Tameka.
As H.E.A.R.T.S. continues to grow in Durham County, Tameka says the next step is trying to get a bigger space and more funding. The nonprofit received a grant to help support participants in accessing child care while they waited to for subsidies or vouchers to kick in, but as child care became more costly and less available, their options are dwindling.
“We know that a lack of affordable and accessible child care is why teen moms drop out of school,” says Tameka. “If we know this is a problem for all parents, no matter their circumstances, why don’t we as a community and as a state do better and do something about this issue?”
Now in its 13th year, H.E.A.R.T.S. has served more than 322 parents and children, and the organization sees a 94% high school graduation rate among its participants.
Tameka envisions H.E.A.R.T.S. being able to provide more support and more programs in the coming years, including child care. “If we had a building of our own, or even more funding, we’d be able to provide child care for program participants,” says Tameka. “There’s still so much we can do to close the resource gap and make sure that these women—who are still children themselves—are able to be healthy and raise healthy children.”
If you’re interested in learning more about H.E.A.R.T.S. and supporting their work in Durham County, visit their website, consider becoming a recurring donor or making donations to LoveBug Children’s Closet and the parent pantry, and/or making a purchase from their Amazon Wishlist.
“And if you have a building or a space where we could grow our program and serve these young people with adult responsibilities, let’s chat,” says Tameka.
You can reach Tameka at hearts@heartsnc.org.
