MISSION STATEMENT
CoAbode’s mission is to provide support and services that connect women raising children alone. Thru this connection, single parent women families pool their finances and resources to improve their living conditions for themselves and their children by sharing a home. CoAbode was founded on the principle that two single moms raising children together can achieve more than one struggling alone. Through a variety of community based programs CoAbode provides single mothers with affordable housing opportunities, specialized support groups,  community outreach and involvement as well as referrals to vital resources designed to make parenting a child alone easier, healthier and more secure.

VISION STATEMENT
Improving the quality of life for single mothers and their children
…It may not take a village, but (through CoAbode), single moms are finding it’s easier to raise their children when they share a home. The tight economy is a key reason, but single moms are rethinking what constitutes a thriving family.
Time Magazine

Carmel Sullivan, Founding Director – Business woman, artist, and mother. She co-founded two successful businesses; Boss Disks, a computer distribution company and Eclectic Treasures, an antique and collectibles retail store. Carmel turned her passion for painting into a thriving business and painted professionally for many years. The birth of her son, lead to her role as an early childhood educator who believes in the idea of community support for families. Born in County Cork, Ireland, Sullivan comes from a large family of seven children, which may explain why the notion of child-centered education has always been dear to her heart. She believes in the educational philosophy that teaches parents to honor and respect their children in every interaction. This attitude is reflected in her mission for CoAbode.

Cassandra Cheng, President – Cassandra is a dynamic professional with 10 years of management experience in the hospitality industry, information technology consulting for Big 5 firms, Arthur Anderson and Deloitte & Touche, and lead roles with product strategy teams at Yahoo!. She has most recently orchestrated the product development effort from soup to nuts for the Virgin Group’s first pure Internet play, Virgin Charter. Her personal work ethic and leadership style exemplify open communication, critical thinking, accountability and follow through – and so her contribution to being on a team is to be a catalyst for that team to achieve ambitious goals.

Suzanne Mulroy, Secretary – Ms Mulroy has designed and implemented over 25 sales, leadership and empowerment training programs. She is an international Motivational / Educational speaker, presenting to thousands of people on various business and personal empowerment subjects Suzanne is currently consulting with entrepreneurs and businesses on organizational policy and procedure. She also hosts quarterly fund raising events and is a member of NEW – Networking for Empowering Woman and has a special place in her heart for organizations that empower woman to be all that they can be.

Marcia Miller, Treasurer, Founder and President of the Bracelet Club, she has been a business women and entrepreneur for over two decades.  This dynamic single mother of two has developed over 1000 different products, many of them experiencing unprecedented success. Marcia became renowned throughout Asia and Europe for creating an internationally known color palette that changed the way color was used in the gift industry. Known as “Marcia’s colors”, the hues on her creative products were sold in over 5000 gift stores internationally.

Dyana Valentine - has been a microsurgery tech, an event planner, worked in corporate America. She has a Master’s degree from Antioch University and an undergrad degree from Brown. She gives talks and workshops, grooming the next generation of community psychologists, and schooling non-academics on how to move projects forward with grace and style. Her passion of passions is helping people make and maintain the connections (to ideas, resources and other humans) that they need to grow themselves and their businesses.