Left to right: Lorie McCasland with Warrior Kids, Lolo Arant — Warrior Women director; Heather Simmons — program director; and Carrie DeHart — Lead Mom Advocate

In efforts to bring women together, Shine will host a workshop called “Monday Night Live” over the course of seven weeks.

“This is a way for women to serve women,” said Suzy Shepherd, founder and director of Shine in Tyler. “To reach all women of these different groups at the same time.”

Powered by Shine, Warrior Women organizes groups that not only give a sense of community to single moms but resources as needed.

According to Shepherd, there are 18 groups that will be coming together.

The Monday Night Live workshops will have three sets of 7-week sessions over the year, the next session starting in April, and then a conference and third session in September.

Monday Night Live will provide opportunities for women to get to know other groups of women, which will help build strong relationships and lend itself to better conversations and connections.

“We’re going to have experts in emotional and mental health, working on destigmatizing those issues,” Shepherd said.

The first session kicked off last week and focused on self-care: “Don’t Do Life Alone.”

Monday Night Live will be bringing many women from other small groups together at one time, and small groups in other states will be broadcasted during the event as well.

There will be dinner, childcare and conversations around ideas that women can relate to with other groups.

“This is our very first one,” Shepherd said, “and we are so excited to get to connect with these ladies that have never met each other before since they’ve all been their own groups.”

In addition to Warrior Women, there is also Warrior Kids, which provides children a place to learn and grow with their mothers as well.

“Community is one of the things women — whether they’re single moms or not — say they need more than anything,” Shepherd said. “And that’s the primary thing we offer to women.”

Led by moms who have experienced and understand the joys and challenges of raising children with little or no other support, Warrior Women provides free home-cooked meals and childcare.

“Right now, in our culture… loneliness is at an all-time high,” Shepherd said, “and there’s a chronic feeling of disconnection. Having a community helps alleviate all of those feelings.”

The groups offer a safe place to share and network with other women in similar circumstances, including Shepherd who found herself as a single mom of three kids 13 years ago.

“I went from lots of couple friends with a busy life and connections to feeling like I didn’t fit in anymore, and it was a struggle to rebuild my own community,” Shepherd said.

To help other single moms have a better support system, Shepherd founded a community with Shine to help women with everything from jobs to housing to sustainable income to childcare.

According to Shepherd, community not only helps with connections but helps with mental health and longevity.

“At the heart of it… I believe God loves His people and it moved me to have love for other people,” Shepherd said. “And that’s why this is my passion.”