Single mom arranging discounts around town for other single parents
Single mom, singular effort Cat Jennings has organized a single-parent group and is arranging for local businesses to give one-parent households helpful discounts.
Scarsdale resident Cat Jennings, whose 21-year partner passed away in April 2024, and she mourns her loss deeply. But she and her two daughters “received a blessing that some don't get,” she said. Because her girls’ father’s health had declined over a five-year period, “the girls were able to spend some time with their dad before he left, and I was able to set us up independently as a family,” she shared.
Now Jennings is helping to make the lives of other single-parent Scarsdalians a little easier too. Not only did she recently begin a support group, but she also is arranging for businesses around town to offer single Scarsdale moms and dads a much-welcomed discount on various goods and services.
From experiencing to offering support
After her partner’s passing, Jennings joined The Tree House, a local bereavement group. It soon became clear that many members face the same challenges she does: “Everyone still expects you to operate as a two-person home, but you’re just one person and you’re just one income,” she said. Families like hers often need extra help, with everything from rides for their children to tech support. (And then, there are voids that are harder to fill, she added: “You just don't have another sounding board to bounce off the big decisions, and that piece is quite intimidating.”)
Through the Tree House meetings and reflecting on her own situation, Jennings had an epiphany. “It dawned on me—’rather to complain about these things, why don't I just become part of the solution?’” Through informal polling, she learned about the various resources single parents need most. Next, she said, “I started reaching out to Scarsdale businesses [to ask for single-parent discount].” Still more businesses reached out to her once she made a Facebook post about her effort: “A lot of them said they’ll do a discount of 20 to 50 percent for my parenting community.”
Jennings is holding off naming the businesses right now, as she is still negotiating terms and discount amounts and wants the single parent community to have a say on how it takes shape. “Most are offering 25 percent off at the moment,” she said. “So far, I have a local pilates studio, a car repair shop, a tech expert, a babysitter, a taxi driver, and a pet sitter signed up,” she shared. She may also create a special ID card that parents can use to secure the discounts.
Gathering single Scarsdale parents for meetings
Jennings also recently started a single-parents meeting group. “At each meeting, members brainstorm ideas for improving the group and expanding the services offered,” she said. The next gathering will take place at Wood & Fire Neopolitan Style Pizza on March 21st, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Please let Jennings know you are coming by emailing her at catreneejennings@gmail.com).
Jennings hopes to continue to expand the resources single parents can marshall, and is also discovering a deep well of resourcefulness within herself. “I needed to change the tire on my car the other day. I managed to do it myself, and I’ve also managed to put a rack on my jeep,” she said. “You know, these are things that a man would usually do, but I managed to do it myself. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but it’s been a great experience, as I think I’ve added so many more strings to my bow.”