By Michele Lutes
Signal Staff Writer
Santa Clarita resident, mortgage adviser and single mother, Patti Handy is reminding single parents to always have hope.
“One day, you’ll look back and realize you’re a whole different person than you were one year ago or two years ago, and it only gets better,” she said. “Never give up hope.”
Handy was one of the six women being honored at the ninth annual Single Mothers Outreach Empowering HeArts Gala, with an overall theme of “Integrity.”
“Integrity means doing the right thing always without question and knowing in your heart you are always doing your best to serve,” Handy said.
Handy worked with the Single Mothers Outreach, or SMO, many years ago, and hopes to get involved again.
“I’m a single mother myself, so (SMO) has always had a soft spot in my heart,” she said.
“I hope to be more involved with the women.”
Handy moved to Santa Clarita in 1987 and gave birth to her son Blake Gonzalez in 1996. “I am so very proud of him, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else — I love this valley,” she said.
She divorced when her son was 18 months old. “I sorta had to reinvent myself as a single mom and a provider,” she said.
And so she did. She now works as as a senior mortgage advisor and trainer at American Family Funding. She also found something to be grateful for everyday and used her trials and tribulations and joys of being a single mom to write four books.
A children’s book, “The Feeling in My Belly of Peanut Butter and Jelly,” an advice book, “50 Ways to Flourish After Divorce” and two finance books, “How to Ditch Your Allowance and Be Richer Than Your Parents: 9 Wealth building tools to make a teen rich,” and “Money Rules 101: Master Your Money Before it Masters You-A Guide for Parents and Teens.”
All four of her books are for sale on Amazon.
She hopes to “inspire individuals to be inspired,” she said. “If I could have any kind of impact or inspire anybody to look at their circumstances today, I’d remind them this moment in time is temporary, if you remain hopeful and grateful with a positive mindset.”
At the gala, artist Cecilia Kikalo will unveil an original piece of art that tells Handy’s story.
Kikalo is one of the six artists chosen to carry out the tasks of telling the honoree’s story through art.
“I feel very grateful that I am among this group of esteemed women,” Handy said. “I always want to make a positive impact and inspire and make the world a better place. I try to live that everyday personally and professionally.”
