CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) Our latest Giving Grace highlights the Little Rose Wagon Foundation, a local independent non-profit organization that provides financial assistance and educational resources to single mothers pursuing a college degree or technical certificate.
This organization, which supports educational success through all barriers, has a unique history. Marquis Bartlett, Executive Director, Chief Fiscal Officer and Co-Founder, shared the touching story of The Little Rose Wagon’s name.
When he was young, Barlett’s mother Carolyn would always say that everyone has their own little rose wagon to pull. “You have this wagon that you drag behind you with all of these things in it and it’s either good or bad,” Bartlett said.
According to Carolyn, you want to be careful about what you fill your wagon with because you want to fill it with things that will help you in life, things that will make you more successful and move you towards a better life.
If you fill it with things like regret, animosity, or hatred, that’s going to drag you back. Now everyone has heard about little red wagons, but Bartlett said that roses were his mother’s favorite flower and she loved them so, as a tribute to her, the organization is called the Little Rose Wagon Foundation.
Bartlett said his mom was a single mother who felt very strongly about the importance of education and having a degree. She had gotten her bachelor’s degree, and with the support of her family, she was able to get her master’s degree.
Bridget Smith, Associate Director of the Little Rose Foundation, is a teacher and said the mission of the organization is to break down barriers because education is so important.
“When students come to me at the beginning of the year, it’s sometimes very apparent whose parent’s value that education and whose parents don’t and whose parents have an education themselves. It not only makes that parent more successful, but it helps the family unit as well,” said Smith.
In supporting Little Rose Wagon, Bartlett said their work cannot happen without the community. “There’s no corporate behind us, if Clarksville does not give money, then we stop giving money and one-hundred percent of donations goes to help a single mother.”
Little Rose Wagon partners with companies, governments, nonprofits, and other organizations to address the complex challenges facing single mothers. Partnering with Little Rose wagon raises awareness and revenue for single mothers and helps single mothers in the community.
Those who are seeking help can go to the website, www.littlerosewagon.org, all the information needed to fill out an application for help and the criteria that must be met can be found on the site for submitting an application. For more you can also email info@littlerosewagon.org.