At Safety Girl, we know that being a single mother is a challenge that is only understood fully by other single moms. Single mothers face the daily struggle of working to provide for themselves and their children as well as caring for their children. Single moms are often stressed financially and forced to make difficult compromises for their children’s well being.

When confronted with the idea of going to school to get a better education, many single mothers may think this is an impossible idea. What single mothers need to know, however, is that, based on their situation, they qualify for many types of financial assistance on the federal and state levels. Check out the following information, courtesy of The School Grants Blog:

FEDERAL GRANTS

To apply for most grants, applicants must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Federal Pell Grant

The Pell grant is one of the most common federal grants that can be used to pay for educational expenses. In order to be eligible for the Pell grant, applicants must have a high school diploma or GED, be a U.S. citizen, demonstrate financial need, and must not have earned a bachelor’s degree. Because Pell grants are awarded based on financial need and expected family contribution (EFC), single mothers are great candidates to receive this grant because they have children dependent on their income.

Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant

The Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is awarded in tandem with the school the applicant applies to for admission. About 75% of FSEOG funding comes from the government and 25% usually comes from the school the applicant attends. To be eligible, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, demonstrate financial need, and must not have earned a bachelor’s degree.

Science and Mathematics to Retain Talent Grants

The Science and Mathematics to Retain Talent (SMART) grant is awarded to college students who have completed two or three years of college and are majoring in math or science fields. SMART grants can be combined with Pell money or other grant money.

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR BASIC NEEDS

Aid to Families with Dependents and Children

Aid to Families with Dependents and Children (AFDC) was founded in 1935 and is the main federal welfare system. AFDC assists single mother by providing federal funds to state agencies that provide assistance to needy families. Single mothers can use AFDC funds for five years and eligibility criteria vary from state to state.

Local Non-Profit Organizations

Single mothers who cannot provide for the basic needs of themselves and their children should investigate local non-profit organizations that may provide meals, food, or personal care products for free or at a very reduced cost. Singlemoms.com is a good starting point for single mothers looking for these resources.

The first day of college jitters. Meeting your new roomie. Finding your way to the dining commons. Getting your student ID. Saying goodbye to the parents. Making new friends. Setting up for your first night in a strange room in a strange place. No one can escape these nerves and uncertainties, but these emotions arise instinctively to keep you safe. They make you alert and aware of your surroundings. They may even keep you up at night for a little while. Usually by now those feelings fade into the background because people become friends, places become familiar, and your campus becomes home. And usually home is a place you feel safe and secure. However, as a student in college, it is important to not get too comfortable with your surroundings and new found friends.

For every 1,000 college women living on a campus, 35 rapes happen every academic year, and Fewer than 5% of these assaults are reported to law enforcement officials (”The Sexual Victimization of College Women” published by the U.S. Dept. of Justice in December 2000).  Also 1 out of 6 college women report having been the victim of rape or attempted rape during the preceding year (National Survey of Sexual Violence on College Campuses, based on 1998 Ms. Project on Campus Sexual Assault).

Always keep a finger on the pulse of that same instinct you had your first night at school. You will find that this nervous instinct will flare up sometimes. Call it your conscience or your mom’s voice in your head or a sixth sense; in any case, don’t ignore it because it represents your biological alarm system. It’s the smoke detectors of your mind alerting you to potential danger. The unknown is obviously scary, but the too well-known can sometimes be the most dangerous. So, make a habit of tapping into that “funny feeling.” Even better, voice your concern out loud to yourself or a friend, it makes it more real that way and might save you from getting into a potentially risky situation.

Holding a can of pepper spray in your jacket pocket is not enough. Learning how to use pepper spray and the appropriate, vulnerable spots to target with this highly effective defense is crucial to personal safety.

Pepper spray training addresses multiple topics to improve your personal safety in all situations. Point of aim is addressed to maximize the incapacitating effects. Saturating your threats’ eyes with pepper spray produces the best results. The eyes are the soft tissue portals of the face and when hit with pepper spray, they slam shut helping you to evade the assailant and escape.

Training also works to teach pepper spray users how to react in life threatening situations. No matter how strong pepper spray is, you must be ready to use it. Otherwise, you may not have time to locate your pepper spray or fear could cause you to forget where to spray and how to spray. Learning the proper techniques and mindset will greatly improve the end result.

Pepper spray training classes include extensive product information and practical training scenarios. Assailants may not attack from the front, so what is the proper reaction to an assailant attacking from behind? Are their things you can do to help prevent this? Personal safety includes learning how to observe, move and defend against an assailant. Pepper spray training teaches users to gain the maximum benefits of the most practical non-lethal tool through training, education and practice.  We have a great training DVD that will help you master the techniques you need when using your pepper spray and other less lethal weapons. Click here to order the “Minimum Damage, Maximum Effect” Training DVD!

The baton is one of the most common less lethal self-defense tools. Law enforcement officers, correctional facilities staff, and some military personnel use batons to protect themselves from potentially dangerous situations, but batons are also becoming more common for civilian use. Batons can be made of wood, plastic, or metal and are used to strike, jab, or block an attacker.

One of the oldest and simplest self defense weapons, batons have been used since ancient Egyptian times. In Victorian-era England, policemen commonly used straightstick batons for self-defense purposes. Known as “billy clubs,” London police used these weapons to defend themselves against potentially harmful criminals. The typical Victorian “billy club” was a straight wooden baton ranging from 18” to 36” in length and about 1.25” in diameter. The “billy club” also contained a fluted handle to enhance the policeman’s grip. In London, the “billy club” contained the Royal Crest and doubled as a way of identifying an official policeman.

Until the 1970s, it was common for British policemen to “brain” criminals by striking their heads with a baton. Although “braining” proved effective in stunning a suspect or causing him to lose consciousness, this method proved potentially fatal and unethical. Civil lawsuits and complaints of brutality sparked changes in law enforcement policies during the 1970s that banned the use of a baton on the head, chest, back or groin unless the situation deemed these actions unavoidable.

In the United States, policemen have used batons for decades in situations where using a firearm is not possible or unjustified and the suspect is potentially dangerous. Batons are advantageous to police officers if they are smaller or weaker than the suspect or outnumbered by a group of suspects.

Collapsible batons have generally replaced the wooden straightstick batons among police officers around the world, as they are easier to carry and less intimidating to civilians. In Great Britain, policemen carry collapsible batons but wooden straightstick is still used for ceremonial purposes. In the United States, most policemen carry collapsible batons, but straightstick batons are still used in Baltimore, Denver, and several cities in California.

Pepper spray is an effective way to prevent victimization. As the economy worsens, more and more reports of criminals and the criminally-minded have surfaced. Women, the elderly and the ever growing number of homeless individuals and families are being attacked in record numbers.

A common companion of those who travel, work out, or live alone, pepper spray is an effective way to prevent victimization. The fact that most pepper sprays work using a projectile delivery system means often times they can be easily used while keeping the attacker at a distance. The ten foot range can provide protection from a distance which may very well avoid the need to get physical or go hands on with an attacker.

The wide variety of designs currently available to conceal pepper spray, mace, and self defense spray make it easier to have your spray immediately available and possibly even catch your attacker or attackers off guard. These products include:

• Cyclists Spray – Cyclists tend to choose pepper sprays that attach to the rider’s arms, legs or the bike’s frame and tears away easily for instant access. Another quality cyclists look for is the ballistic stream that directs itself toward the target while decreasing the chance of wind blow-back.

• Jogger Self Defense Spray for Runners – Those jogging should consider pepper sprays with an adjustable hand strap or those that can easily attach to and detach from the arm. Also, look for ballistic streams that reduce the chances of having the wind blow the spray back towards the user.

• Women are often caught off guard by attackers when performing distracting actions such as loading groceries, unlocking doors, or caring for children. Great tools that are readily accessible under most circumstances include the keychain pepper spray, pocket pepper sprays, and pen pepper sprays which are easy to access.

• Elderly persons are most often overpowered by their attackers who view them as weak and defenseless. Instead of attempting to fight hands on with attackers, it’s best to keep them at a distance if possible. Magnum pepper sprays are great options with their long range and accuracy.

The Internet is full of advice on how to get things cheaper, faster, and just as effective as the original. And while this may work for things like paper clips, antennas, and skateboards, it could yield potentially lethal results when dealing with non-lethal self defense pepper spray.

Self defense pepper spray contains an ingredient referred to as “OC”, or Oleoresin Capsicum. OC is commonly used in horticulture to refer to chili peppers which are known for the “heat” they release. In fact, even under cool water, the heat from chili peppers can be easily detected.

Most online do it yourself pepper spray methods consist of some combination of cayenne, jalapenos, or habaneros (are all common types of chili peppers) and some propellant that thrusts the OC onto the attacker. The thought is that since chili peppers naturally cause irritation and tearing of the eyes, someone could use them to make a home-made pepper spray.

The problem with the do it yourself pepper spray, as compared to a professionally built defense spray, is the uncertainty of the homemade product. We’ll break each concern we have in turn:

Containers – Most pump containers are simply not constructed for the everyday pocketbook, backpack, and key ring bumps (wear and tear) they will endure. The cracks, leaks, and tops falling off of these containers end up being more trouble than it’s worth.  Professionally made pepper spray utilize very durable canister which adds longevity and reliability to your product.

Spray Control – Most pump sprays release its contents using a mist. When handling the heat of homemade pepper spray, any wind makes the spray’s mist unpredictable and therefore dangerous to everyone in close proximity, INCLUDING the user.  Equally important, it is much easier to use a professional pepper spray which sprays continuously while holding the spray mechanism.  Professionally made self defense pepper sprays have a much stronger delivery and greater range allowing you to protect yourself from a distance.

Ingredients – The dangers of mixing your own spicy, eye-watering combination is that you actually have to expose yourself (and those around you) to your spicy, eye-watering combination. The ingredients in a homemade pepper spray can cause excruciating pain if it gets into the eyes or nasal passages.  The possibility also exists that a home made spray will be far too weak to stop an attacker.

The making of defensive spray is best left in the hands of the professionals who provide durable containers, easy to use firing mechanisms, greater range and the prevention of exposure to harmful ingredients. In the end, the do it yourself route is not a good idea.  Your safety is important.  Trust the professionals which make the products used daily by law enforcement officers.

Pepper spray once again has been showing up in almost all forms of media since the start of Occupy Wall Street protests. YouTube has been plastered with videos of police using pepper spray on protesters, sparking many debates and even interviews of the people who were sprayed.

So what can we do when we find ourselves on the receiving end of a blast of pepper spray?  Some say milk, dish washing soap, or baking powder.  None of these answers will effectively take away the burning affects of pepper spray.

Don’t despair; SafetyGirl.com has the answer: Sudecon Decontamination Wipes from Fox Labs!

• Spontaneously stops the burn—opening eyes and restoring vision usually in 7-15 minutes or less
• Unmatched effectiveness on all types of defense sprays: OC, CS, CN, OC/CS
• Easy-to-use: just open towelette and wipe all affected areas
• No need to force eyes open and spray them repeatedly like with other products
• Can be applied before training exercises to reduce the effects of all types of defense sprays
• Field-proven by military, federal, state & local law enforcement, EMS and medical personal as the superior decontaminate to all other alternatives
• Easy-to-carry for quick access—3½” x 4” pouch opens to big 7.5 x 11.5 inches and can be conveniently carried on belt in glove pouch or in a shirt pocket
• Requires no additional soap or water and contains all natural ingredients
• Cleans-up leather gear, handcuffs, steering wheels, etc.
• Reduces liability concerns in all areas
• Non-toxic, non-flammable, non-irritating

Sudecon’s patented formula doesn’t use alcohol/ethanol, and it is so safe that it won’t harm you even if it is accidentally ingested. Nothing achieves decontamination and restores vision faster, easier, more safely or reliably than Sudecon. So whether you’re training police officers, protesting on the streets, or testing your pepper spray on a friend, make sure you are prepared with our Sudecon Decontamination Wipes.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and what better way to support breast cancer research than with Safety Girl’s Pink Ribbon Products. Safety Girl and many of our vendors are proud to contribute to breast cancer research by selling a variety of pink ribbon products. A percentage of the proceeds of these products are donated to breast cancer awareness and research causes, both of which help the number of breast cancer survivors continue to rise.

Check out a few of Safety Girl’s Pink Ribbon safety products:

Safety Girl’s Pink Pepper Spray is the perfect self-defense tool. This Sabre pepper spray features twenty-five shots of maximum strength pepper formula delivered through a ballistic stream that reduces wind blowback. The unit includes a detachable key ring with a quick release for ease of use.

Having a flashlight on your keychain can come in handy, whether you’re trying to find your lipstick in your purse or need a little guiding light while walking to your car. Whatever your needs are, Safety Girl’s Pink Flashlight by Streamlight is the perfect keychain flashlight. This tiny nano light is weatherproof and is packed with an LED bulb that lasts approximately 100,000 hours. With each flashlight sale, Streamlight will donate $1.00 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Although Maglites often bring to mind the heavy-duty police flashlights, Maglite actually makes a flashlight small enough to fit in a pocket or purse. Weighing less than one ounce, the Pink Maglite Flashlight is created with the same attention to detail as the larger Maglites. Complete with a key ring and highly adjustable beam, this tiny flashlight is also shock and water-resistant. Purchasing this tiny Maglite also supports Breast Cancer Research: what more could you ask for?

These are just a few of Safety Girl’s fantastic pink ribbon products: check the website for the entire selection!

Attention all Safety Girls! You can now purchase impact weapons at Safety Girl’s online store. Unlike pepper sprays and stun guns, impact weapons are self-defense tools that are used to physically strike an attacker without the use of chemicals or electroshock. Batons are also among the least expensive self-defense tools on the market.

The baton is one of the most common impact weapons. Historically, police officers, correctional facilities workers, and security personnel most frequently used batons for less lethal self-defense, but they are becoming common for civilian use. When used effectively, a baton can disable an attacker by striking and jabbing.

Safety Girl is opening up its line of impact weapons with two types of expandable batons: one with a foam handle and one with a rubber handle. Each type of baton is available is available in three lengths: 16-inch, 21-inch, and 26-inch. The length of the baton refers to the size when the weapon is not expanded.

Expandable Batons

The expandable baton is great for civilian use. Ranging in size from 16 inches to 26 inches before expanding, the baton is easy to carry and conceal. Safety Girl’s batons even come with a nylon holster and belt loop to ensure that your baton is always within arm’s reach. When needed, just a flick of the wrist will cause the baton to extend to full length and lock securely. Once extended, you’ll be able to strike, jab, and hit your attacker with several feet of steel. One of the greatest benefits of a baton is that you can maintain a few feet distance from your attacker, preventing him from coming within arm’s reach of you.

Safety Girl’s batons are available now on the Safety Girl website for just $13.95 each for the 16-inch size, $14.95 each for the 21-inch size, and $16.95 each for the 26-inch size. Commit to protecting yourself in dangerous situations and order your baton today!

Should I buy a stun gun or pepper spray? I have heard this question asked time and time again. Let’s look at some differences between these two self defense options.

• Legality: Stun guns are not legal in all states. There are some cities and states where they are considered illegal and you are not allowed to own one. Pepper Spray is legal in all 50 states. However, a number of cities and states have restrictions on sizes and strength of the pepper spray. Always make sure you know what restrictions your city and/or state has for both types of self defense.
• Concealment: Think about your concealment options. Most stun guns and pepper sprays are easily identifiable, but each type has disguised models available. Pepper sprays have models disguised as lipstick, pens, or keychains. Some stun gun models are made to look like cell phones, pens, or flashlights
• Price: Depending on what type you purchase, pepper spray is usually cheaper than stun guns. But most pepper spray has a shelf life of 2 to 3 years. Stun guns on the other hand, are powered by replaceable batteries so your stun gun will be around for years to come.
• Immobilization: Pepper Spray can be deployed from several feet away. And if shot in the face, your attacker could be disabled for 15 to 30 minutes. To effectively use a stun gun, you must be at least arms length away from your attacker. A stun guns stopping power is more effective than pepper spray but will only immobilize an attacker for approximately 3-7 minutes.

Both forms of self defense have been proven useful. You must weigh your options and make a decision that works best for you. Remember, you need to feel comfortable and confident on what you choose for self-defense. In every attack there will be shock and fear. That’s why you must have the confidence in your ability to use your stun gun or pepper spray. I hope this has shed some light on the top two non-lethal self defense weapons. Remember to stay alert and stay safe!