Welcome to Shine Sacramento
Helping Young Central Sacramento Valley Mothers & Their Families Shine Bright
At an official ribbon cutting event on May 9, 2023 the Sacramento office of Shine Together formally marked the organization’s transition into a new chapter, and celebrated 10 years of guiding and supporting young mothers and their children in the region.
Besides Shine Together’s Sacramento Valley regional office, the organization (previously known as Teen Success, Inc.) supports young moms and their families in three other high poverty communities in the Central Valley and greater.
Sacramento’s teen birth rate of 8.7 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 (as at 2021 figures) has been steadily declining since 2009, when the rate in this region was 29.6 births per 1,000 females in the same age group. The current Sacramento teen birth figure is close to the overall birth rate for the same demographic in the state of California overall (9.3 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 as per 2021 statistics).
While this decline is a welcome development, many teen mothers are still at high risk for not finishing high school or pursuing post-secondary education, and they are more likely to live in poverty. Since its founding in 2011, Shine Together has worked toward breaking this cycle of poverty by supporting young moms. Shine’s rebranding in 2022 clarified that its mission includes moms in their early twenties.
As of 2024, Shine Together’s Sacramento organization supports at least 30 young mothers in pursuing their secondary and post-secondary education, while helping them develop their parenting skills, enhance their financial literacy, and improve the health and wellness of their families.
Through one-on-one sessions that help young moms work toward their high school diploma or post-secondary education, they’re able to help reduce drop-out rates for young moms and assist them in navigating their education journey towards graduation and personal and professional success.
Niki Singleton, Shine Together’s Sacramento Valley’s Regional Director: “We’re also able to help support our participants with resource navigation, learning those necessary parenting skills that they do want to work and build on. Our job is to be there to be compassionate, to empower them, and to be that cheerleader on the sideline,” says Singleton.
The organization is also working to expand its services to include the entire family, including young fathers.
Young mom and Shine Together Sacramento Advocate Emiko Ropp, about how participating in the Shine program has positively impacted her life.
"I urge every young mother out there to consider joining Shine Together. The guidance and unwavering support from our Advocates, the camaraderie and connections formed with fellow mothers, and the incredible generosity of donors have the power to redefine our lives.”
Emiko Ropp’s transformative journey with Shine Together
When the 19-year-old Emiko Ropp’s mom first showed her the Shine Together website in the early days after giving birth to her son, the sleep-deprived and overwhelmed young mother signed up to join Shine, but at first didn’t realize the potential impact Shine could have on her life. Read Emiko’s story here.
News
MacKenzie Scott’s $2M nonprofit donation to help Fresno mothers
In March of 2023, Shine Together received a $2 million grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Foundation. Scott has donated millions to nearly 80 California-based nonprofit organizations in recent years.
Events
- Back 2 School Event – 7/25 @ 1230pm-3pm
- Winter Wonderland/ Toys for Tots
- Galentine’s Day
- Mother’s Day
- Spring Event
- Fall Celebration
Special Programs
- Monthly Community Diaper Distribution
Our Team
Meet the Sacramento Shine Team
Each and every member of the Shine team is dedicated to empowering young mothers and impacting multiple generations. Together, we bring decades of experience in youth and community services, social justice, and research and evaluation.
Niki Singleton
Sacramento Valley Regional Director
Niki joined Teen Success, Inc. in July 2018 as the Partnership Manager for the Sacramento Valley, Oakland, and Northwestern Nevada. Today, she is the Sacramento Valley Regional Director responsible for the growth of the Teen Success, Inc. program in her respective region. She passionately advocates for and supports young parents, as she resonates with being a young mom herself. Niki graduated from Grand Canyon University in April 2022, with a Master’s in Science for Sociology with an emphasis in Education and holds a Sociology B.A. with Psychology minor.
(408) 593-0298
niki@shinetogether.org
Alexis Frutos
Advocate, Sacramento
Alexis F. is a queer identifying first gen graduate who grew up in the Sacramento region. She graduated from CSU Long Beach with a degree in gender studies and has worked with grassroots organizations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia for human rights, climate change and education. She has a passion for connecting with people, especially the youth. She is excited to be in community with young mothers to provide trauma informed support and intuitive guidance.
(408) 836-8445
Ashley Gonzalez-Holly
Advocate, Sacramento
Ashley G. was raised in Sacramento and attended American River College and San Francisco State University. She has a lot of experiences working with a wide range of communities within Northern California such as mentoring college students to further their post-secondary education, youth programming, case management & providing local and statewide resources for families. Ashley’s interests are anything regarding spirituality ,music & art, and learning skills to better understand/develop oneself. She loves being outdoor, either hiking or being at a beach, and cares deeply about her family/ chosen family. A quote that she keeps in mind to keep her grounded is ” As long as the elephant walks slowly, one step at a time, they travel great, GREAT lengths and never destroys anything. As soon as an elephant starts to run and is in a hurry, everything is destroyed in its path.”
FAQS
Thank you for helping young mothers and their children reach their full potential through our Shine Together Programs!
Thanks to all our partners, sponsors and who believe in our cause and whose contributions help us empower young mothers and their families.
Shine relies on partnerships and relationships within the community to provide supplies and peer support to our participants. These allies include the following people, institutions and organizations:
Our Partners
Our Sponsors
- Office of Child Abuse and Prevention
- Kelly Foundation
- Westly Foundation
- County of Sacramento
- Soroptomist International Greater Sacramento
- Soroptomist International Metropolitan Sacramento
- District 8: May Vang
- Sacramento City Unified School District: Student Health Services
- Sacramento County Food Bank
- Sacramento Public Library
- Baby 2 Baby
- Project Glimmer
Our Donors
Regional Boundaries
Serving all of Sacramento County, and Yolo County (Sacramento, Elk Grove, Galt, Rancho Cordova, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, North Highlands, Citrus Heights, Antelope, Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento.
Sacramento Valley Office
Shine Together
Capital City School
7222 24th Street
Sacramento, CA 95822
- Phone Numbers
- InfoSac@shinetogether.org
- Find us on Instagram:
- @shinetogetherorg/
- @shinetogether_fresno
- @shinetogether_sacramento
- @teensuccessmonterey
How to find us
Need more info? Get in touch with us!
Donate Now
Help A Young Mom Shine Bright
We need your help to empower young moms and their children. Together, we can create economic advancement for families and communities, two generations at a time.