Dunedin Woman Inspired To Found Nonprofit To Support Single Moms

DUNEDIN, FL — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented and changing times.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these heroes making a difference in their communities. We’re working to let all your neighbors know about these outstanding people and their stories.

This submission comes from Eric Davis who nominated his wife, Chantala Davis of Dunedin.

Chantala Davis is the founder and president of A Mother's Arms Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides empowerment, educational training and respite care for parents to prevent child abuse and neglect of children.

It's dedicated to Jordan Belliveau, a 2-year-old toddler who was killed by his young mother in Largo in 2018.

Davis was born and raised in Clearwater, is the mother of three and grandmother of four.

A Dunedin High School graduate, she attended Eckerd College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human services.

For years, she has been employed as an outreach worker, program facilitator and youth support worker. She is also a member of the National Black Child Development Institute and is active as a community advocate in local nonprofits.

Davis has a passion for helping others, loving and supporting children, and assisting her community's growth and development, said her husband.

"My wife is such a hard worker and a dedicated mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and so many other titles," Eric Davis said. "She is driven with her vision to help mothers and save the children."

Like many residents in the area, Chantala Davis was deeply impacted by the tragic death of little Jordan Belliveau.

After searching for the little boys for days, Largo police discovered him in a wooded area. He had died of head trauma inflicted by his single mother, police said.

His death cast a spotlight on mistakes made by child welfare agencies who were supposed to protect him and the impossible caseloads of child protective workers, leading to the passage of "Jordan's Law."

Sponsored by State Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in July 2020, the new law mandates reforms in the child welfare system so children don't slip between the cracks in a system that's all too often overburdened.

Jordan's death also shed light on the stress experienced by single mothers trying to earn a living while raising children on their own. Chantala Davis understands the frustrations and desperation of single moms all too well.

She, too, was a single parent. But she had her mother, her grandmother and understanding neighbors who provided her with the support she needed.

She believes it takes a village to raise a child and, through A Mother's Arms, she hopes to provide that village to prevent the neglect and abuse that led to little Jordan's death.

"The children are our future, and she (Chantala) always says that they are a gift from God," Eric Davis said. "She gives inspiration to the women that come through her program and instills a new strength in them."

Creating the nonprofit and developing a successful program to aid single moms was no easy feat, Eric Davis said.

"There were so many days of struggling to know what to do and how to do it but she didn't give up. She understood the power she possessed within herself and the power she needed to help mothers unleash within themselves so that they can make this world a better place by making families stronger," he said. "She is a superhero."

While so many programs for single mothers focus on helping them obtain their GEDs, acquiring job skills, and providing housing and public assistance, Chantala Davis said they didn't deal with the internal struggles facing single mothers.

Children don't come with an instruction manual and mothers don't instinctively know how to parent.

A Mother's Arms provides the knowledge, skills and, most importantly, the respite, or downtime, mothers need to be effective parents, thanks to an army of volunteers who are willing to care for the children to provide the mother with some relief.

"We provide a safe environment that offers accommodations for respite care for children to assist parents under stress," Chantala Davis said.

Parents in the A Mother's Arms program participate in a free eight-week "Embrace Change" course that educates and empowers them to be the best parent they can be while offering social activities, respite, resources and a supportive environment.

Since launching A Mother's Arms, dozens of mothers have completed the program, celebrating with a graduation party and certificate of completion. The program has become so popular, there's now a waiting list.

A Mother's Arms is dependent on community donations, including items to give to participants as incentives and graduation gifts such as gift cards, gas cards and beauty items. Anyone who would like to donate can click here.

Thank you for all you do, Chantala Davis!

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