Founding Member and Executive Director
From the moment she co-founded Singleton Moms, Jody has thrown herself 100 percent into helping single mothers with cancer.
“The phrase “single mom with cancer” never entered my mind until I saw it for myself,” Jody said. “When our long-time friend Michelle Singleton was diagnosed, it was devastating and completely unnerving as I was only 27 years old and a mother myself. Although I was not a single mom, I couldn’t imagine facing mortality at such a young age while continuing to be a positive force in your children’s lives.”
As Executive Director, Jody oversees the day-to-day operations of Singleton Moms and she also serves as Fundraising Committee Chair. She is responsible for the original structure of the Singleton Moms’ programs “Michelle's Pockets” and “Michelle's Kitchen,” and she is working to expand the “Singleton Kids” program. Passionate about her work, she spends countless hours seeking financial support for these programs through fundraising, sponsorships, and general donations.
“I believe that not supporting these families can have devastating effects for many years to come,” she said. “It has been proven time and time again that stress weakens the immune system. Reducing the amount of stress and anxiety a mom feels while undergoing treatment by supplying her with financial and domestic support can aide in her recovery. Not to mention the importance of the emotional support that each mom receives from her care coordinator and others in the organization. These bonds can exceed far beyond treatment and become life-long relationships. Our unique and refreshing approach helps fill the needs of this underserved population.”
Jody believes in the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," and with every fundraising event or program, she strives to rally community support.
“Single moms with cancer need an extra hand, even more so than the average mom. Their children are a part of our future, and they deserve to know that others are here to support them and want them to succeed, especially through adversity,” she said.
An Arizona native and graduate of Arcadia High School, Jody was the originator of the Singleton Moms “Lean on Me Walk,” the “Michelle Singleton Memorial Golf Classic,” and the first “Singleton Moms Wine Tasting and Silent Auction.” For the first few years, she spearheaded Singleton Moms publicity efforts, which led to numerous positive print and television news pieces.
In April 2009, Jody was recognized by Soroptimist International of Phoenix as the second place winner for the Making a Difference for Women Award. In May 2010, she and Singleton Moms co-founder, Andy Royal, were the award recipients of the Soroptimist International of the Kachinas Ruby Award.
A true visionary, Jody has two long-term goals she wishes to see achieved for Singleton Moms.
“The first is to see our services expanded outside of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The second is to open Singleton Manor, a multi-use facility that would be used as a home base for our daily operations as well as house programs, such as “Michelle’s Kitchen,” “Michelle’s Pockets,” “Singleton Kids,” and care coordinator training. Ultimately, this facility would become a sanctuary for single moms recovering from difficult treatment or cancer related surgery,” she said.
Jody finds inspiration from Singleton Moms’ brave single mothers and she hopes others will lend their support either by making a donation or volunteering.
“Hands-on, aide-based organizations that focus on the daily necessities of people in need are few and far between,” she said. “So many organizations seem afraid to get “too involved” in the lives of those they serve. Singleton Moms’ approach is quite the opposite. The more involved we are, the more we can help, and the better we can support the families we serve.”
A Scottsdale resident, Jody has been married for 12 years and has three beautiful children. When she’s not working on Singleton Moms projects, she works part-time at the front desk of her daughter's dance studio and volunteers at her children’s school whenever possible. She also loves to find time to read a good book or take her children to the zoo for a day of fun.
Director of Care
Cassie joined our Singleton Moms staff in March 2011, but she has been involved since 2007. On joining our small, but committed team Cassie said “Andy and Jody have started something truly unique and I am really looking forward to being a part of this organization. By taking one step at a time, one parent at a time…I know great things are ahead.”
As the Singleton Moms Director of Care, Cassie manages our Care Coordinator program; our Care Coordinators are the volunteers who provide personalized support to our Singleton families. Cassie meets with prospective Singleton parents, determines the needs of the family, assigns a Care Coordinator, and fills in with additional help as needed. She also manages several of our other volunteer programs including Michelle’s Pockets, Michelle’s Phonebook, and coordinates Michelle’s Clean-up Crew.
Cassie hopes to expand the volunteer program to enable us to serve more moms; she also wants to add more resources to Michelle’s Phonebook by gaining the support of more professionals who will volunteer their services. Cassie also has big goals for our Singleton Kids program as she explains “The children of single parents with cancer often have to grow up too quickly, and often become the caretaker of the family if there is no other support. I want to help find more mentors, and arrange regular events so our kids can just be kids again.”
Cassie’s involvement with Singleton Moms started back in 2007 when she worked at The Wellness Community. She saw a Singleton Moms flyer and immediately wanted to get involved; Cassie explains “Singleton Moms is such a personal way to help families in our community. It helps meet the direct needs of someone who has a name, a face, a family; our volunteers and donors get to see firsthand how their support impacts lives.”
An Arizona native, Cassie was born in Phoenix, grew up in Tucson and went to High School in Page. She is working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Although a new staff member with Singleton Moms, Cassie has worked in Volunteer Management for over 5 years.
Cassie lives in east Mesa with her husband, two kids (ages 8 & 4) and two dogs. “We love to do anything outdoors, go camping, and spend time with friends and family. I also love to travel, cook and garden when I have the time.” Cassie volunteers through the Art Masterpiece program at her daughter's school and is working towards becoming a Pet Therapy Team with her dog Ashley and hopes to volunteer with Gabriel’s Angels.
Founding Member
Andy McCandless (née Royal), a founding member of Singleton Moms, now resides in Portland, Oregon where she takes care of her two daughters, her husband, and works as a photographer.
Before she moved to Oregon with her family in June 2011, Andy worked tirelessly alongside Jody for 5 years to establish Singleton Moms as a force to reckoned with. Andy’s passion and determination was fundamental to the success of Singleton Moms growing from a ‘nice idea’ to the organization it is today. Andy’s primary role was as Care Director. She took charge of each parent's personal challenges as they related to day-to-day tasks; everyday jobs that often become overwhelming during cancer treatment.
An Arizona resident for 35 years and graduate of Camelback High School, Andy says her biggest hope is that Singleton Moms continues to educate the public that people can make a big difference, even in little ways. “The assistance we provide is actually helping,” she said. “The services we offer are one-of-a-kind, and the relationships we build are like no other. We truly make an impact. We are different, and it is my hope that Singleton Moms will always stay that way."
Andy hopes to start a Singleton Moms in Portland one day, enabling her to help moms in her new hometown, and allowing her to continue to honor the memory of her best friend, Michelle Singleton.