For 45-year-old Roseann Robinson, only one paycheck pays the bills, the rent and the living expenses needed to provide for her six children.

As a single working mother, who up until a year and a half ago lived in extreme poverty, Robinson has defied the odds, turned her life around, and is looking forward to a memorable Mother's Day with her children.

This May, Denver women at the Women's Bean Project celebrate more than just Mother's Day. Thirty women, many of whom are single mothers, have ended their struggle with poverty and are graduating in the Bean's "Ready, Set, Grow" ceremony.

The Women's Bean Project, a Denver-based social enterprise, teaches workplace competencies to women who come from backgrounds of chronic unemployment or poverty, helping them to get back on their feet.

Robinson, who graduated from the Women's Bean Project nearly one year ago, is walking proof of a success story.

With six children, a background of drug and alcohol abuse and a felony, it didn't seem likely that Robinson would escape her down-hill tumble into poverty.

"I was having a hard time feeding my children," said Robinson, "and I couldn't manage to hold onto a job for very long."

Like Robinson, of the women hired at Women's Bean Project in 2007, 66 percent had felony records and 44 percent were single mothers.

Despite these hurdles, Robinson turned her life around. At the Women's Bean Project, she learned self-sufficiency, computer competency skills, and how to love herself. In addition, the Women's Bean Project helped her to receive Medicaid, prepare for job interviews, and set up daycare for her children.

For Robinson, her time at the Women's Bean Project proved invaluable. In fact, 70 percent of women hired at the Women's Bean Project graduated with basic workplace competencies, and 70 percent of graduates were placed in entry-level careers.

Today, Robinson has a job that she loves and is able to pay the bills. For Mother's Day, her plans include a day of barbequing with her children and a trip to the movies. Several years ago, this would not have been the case.

"I'm really proud of myself because I was able to become a better parent. I'm no longer drinking and using drugs, and as a result, my love for my children is stronger."

Although more than 18,000 women and children have been positively impacted by the Women's Bean Project over the past 18 years, more than 40,000 Denver women continue to live in poverty.