Women’s Empowerment Holds Holiday Gift Drive

Posted on by kthebaud
A Women’s Empowerment graduate in a Santa hat makes beaded bracelets as holiday gifts with her grandson at the annual Holiday Craft Party

Local residents can spread holiday cheer to Sacramento women and children who have experienced homelessness by contributing to Women’s Empowerment’s annual Holiday Drive. The nonprofit is seeking fully assembled gift bags that include a $25 Target and Walmart gift card, winter hat, socks and holiday candy. Assembled gift bags are needed for for all ages from infant to adult. For those who prefer to make a financial donation, the average cost of a gift bag is $40, but any amount is helpful. Items also can be purchased individually through the group’s Amazon wishlist at www.womens-empowerment.org.  Items are needed at Women’s Empowerment, 1590 North A Street in Sacramento, by Dec. 11. 

“These gift bags provide warm and celebratory items for the women and children in our programs during the holiday season, but they also demonstrate that they have a community of love and support encouraging them as they work to break the generational cycle of homelessness,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment.

Items will be distributed to families at Women’s Empowerment’s upcoming Holiday Craft Party in mid-December where women and children will create gifts for family and friends. At the event, mothers also will have the opportunity to choose gifts for their children, thanks to a toy drive held by California State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, District 6. 

Women’s Empowerment provides a two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare and support services so women and their children can break the generational cycle of homelessness. Women’s Empowerment offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. In 2023, 165 jobs were secured by graduates, and 189 women either secured or maintained housing. Since 2001, 1,903 women have graduated from Women’s Empowerment with their 4,000 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

United Way’s Women United to Hold Fall Fundraiser for Foster Youth

Posted on by kthebaud
Eight women stand in front of a United Way background at a Women United event

United Way’s Women United action group will hold its fall fundraiser, Innovate and Ignite, to connect and empower women in the community and raise funds for the local United Way’s foster youth initiatives. The Oct. 10 event will take place 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Sequoia at the Cannery, 1601 Alhambra Blvd, Suite 200, in Sacramento, and will include charcuterie, wine, networking and a fireside chat with local women leaders. For tickets, visit www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org. 

“This will be such a fun and meaningful night as we gather together to ignite change in our community,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “We are eager to share exciting updates and invite women across the region to pool their passions, ideas, expertise and resources to help end poverty for local foster youth through our innovative initiatives.”

The event, sponsored by UC Davis Health, will include updates on Women United’s largest initiative, the Collegiate Guaranteed Income program, which provides $500 per month for 12 months to 10 former foster youth studying at Sacramento State. The program launched in May 2024. 

“I feel blessed, thankful and cherished, and a lot of foster youth don’t get to feel that way from many people, so to feel that from strangers is an amazing and surreal feeling,” said Jaliyah, a participant in United Way’s Collegiate Guaranteed Income Program, when she entered the program. “I’m going to use these funds to pay for groceries because they’re expensive, and to fix my car because I need it to get to school. It will also help me pay for classes for next semester, so I’m ecstatic.”

United Way’s Women United action group is a philanthropic network of more than 250 women who work together to focus on their signature issue: ensuring foster youth are prepared for success in life. Since its inception in 2002, Women United has raised more than $2 million to support foster youth through innovative programs focusing on education and increasing self-sufficiency. For more information, visit www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org/Get-Involved/Women-United.  

Founded in 1923, United Way California Capital Region has been a transformative force in the Sacramento community for more than a century, serving Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties. The local United Way’s Square One approach to ending poverty is grounded in a public health model and uses a threefold strategy to address community needs from birth and beyond: helping kids excel in school, investing in families and strengthening schools. At United Way’s core is the philosophy that families possess the blueprint for their success. United Way supplies books to young children, provides literacy tutoring, addresses housing and food security, leads the region’s largest tax preparation initiative and launched Sacramento’s first guaranteed income program. United Way works across diverse school districts, providing case management for foster youth and leading the Community Schools initiative in West Sacramento. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org. 

Sip and Paint to Benefit Make It Happen for Yolo County

Posted on by kthebaud

Local residents are invited to Sip and Paint, a wine and painting fundraiser at the Pence Gallery in Davis on April 6 to benefit Make It Happen for Yolo County. The local nonprofit works with transition age youth ages 16-24 across Yolo County, many of whom have been in foster care or experienced homelessness. Funds raised will help the local nonprofit provide furniture, household goods, cleaning supplies and essential items needed to establish a first home.

Sip and Paint guests will enjoy wine, beer and other beverages as they create a painting guided by Davis artist and teacher Joanne Andresen from 2:30-6:00 p.m. Small bites also will be served. Cost per ticket is $75, and tables of four are available for $300. Seating is limited, and tickets can be purchased at MIHYolo.org.

“We are excited to bring the community together for this fun event that will ensure we can serve even more under-resourced transition age youth in Yolo County who are moving out on their own this year,” said Cathi Schmidt, executive director, Make It Happen for Yolo County. “We hope to meet new friends and raise awareness as we gather for an afternoon of wine and painting with the incomparable Joanne Andresen. Everyone will go home with a beautiful painting in hand and a warm heart knowing that they have invested in the future of this particularly vulnerable population that is often overlooked.”

Event sponsors include the Pence Gallery, Nugget Markets, Holly’s Hill Vineyards and J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Make It Happen for Yolo County receives furniture donations from the community and purchases new appliances and household items to help transition age youth referred from Yolo County child welfare services, mental health and probation divisions, as well as the UC Davis Guardian Scholars program and other local groups involved with this population. Since its founding in 2014, Make It Happen for Yolo County has helped more than 250 transition age youth. To make a financial or furniture donation, visit MIHYolo.org.

Women’s Empowerment to Hold Gala Sept. 21

Posted on by kthebaud

Sacramento nonprofit Women’s Empowerment will hold its Transformation Gala on Sept. 21 at 5:30pm at the Pavilion at Haggin Oaks, where guests will raise funds and celebrate the program that educates, empowers and employs unhoused Sacramento women so they can support their families. Fifty program graduates will join community members at the event for dinner, live auction, Fund-A-Dream and award ceremony. Two graduates will share their stories rising from homelessness. The annual gala is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising a fifth of the annual budget. To purchase tickets, sponsor a graduate to attend or become a sponsor, visit Womens-Empowerment.org/Gala.

“We are proud that many community members consider the Women’s Empowerment Gala to be one of the most inspirational events in Sacramento each year,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “This event is unique because it brings together women once unhoused with the community who supported them in their rise from homelessness. They leave our program transformed and proud to be Women’s Empowerment graduates, and it shows in their radiant smiles and passionate voices at our Gala. We hope the community will join us for this genuine, powerful event that raises critical funds so Sacramento’s unhoused women and children can thrive.”

Women’s Empowerment provides a two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare, transitional workforce housing and support services so women and their children can break the generational cycle of homelessness. Women’s Empowerment offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. Last year, 121 graduates secured employment or enrolled in paid training or education. Since 2001, 1,822 women have graduated from Women’s Empowerment’s program with their 3,882 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

United Way 100th Anniversary Gala Raises $640K to Help Kids Excel in School

Posted on by kthebaud

More than 450 community members came together to raise $640,000 to help local children succeed in school at United Way California Capital Region’s 100th anniversary gala on April 29. The event held on the eve of the organization’s 100th birthday at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium included dinner, keynote presentation by San Francisco 49er Arik Armstead who cofounded the Armstead Academic Project, fund a need, silent and live auctions, raffle for tickets to Game 7 of the Kings vs. Warriors playoff series the next day, and dollar-for-dollar match courtesy of the Capital Region Foundation.

The local United Way has raised more than $671,000 toward its 100th anniversary goal announced in February to raise $3 million to help 10,000 kids excel in school by 2025.

“This night was the culmination of 100 years of work in this community to end poverty for local families,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “We know education is a proven ladder out of poverty, and we know school is square one for reaching families in need. Our 100th anniversary campaign is the launching pad for our next century of work to make sure our community’s children succeed in school and thrive as adults.”

United Way California Capital Region has found one place in each community to reach the most families in need: School is square one for ending poverty. United Way uses its Square One approach to end poverty for local families by helping children excel in school, investing in families, and strengthening schools with resources to address increased poverty and deep roots of racial inequality.

The local United Way offers a wide array of programming and services to ensure children and their families have the resources they need to succeed in school and in adulthood. From a regional reading tutoring program and school-readiness services for incoming kindergarteners to an income program for foster youth, guaranteed income for families, free tax preparation services and more, United Way has created a holistic approach that starts in schools.

To make a donation to the 100th anniversary campaign or learn more about United Way’s programs and services: YourLocalUnitedWay.org.

Women’s Empowerment to Hold Trivia Night Fundraiser

Posted on by kthebaud

To celebrate Women’s History Month, local residents can enjoy multiple rounds of trivia competition, entertainment, food, beverages and inspiring stories at Women’s Empowerment’s Trivia for Transformation fundraiser on March 24. The event will take place 6:00-9:30pm at the Croatian American Cultural Center in Sacramento and will benefit local nonprofit Women’s Empowerment’s employment-readiness and empowerment program for unhoused women and children in Sacramento. Tickets can be purchased individually, in pairs or in teams of six at Womens-Empowerment.org.

v“We are excited to bring the community together for this fun event during Women’s History Month,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “At Trivia for Transformation, we will celebrate the nearly 1,800 women in our community who have overcome the obstacles of homelessness and transformed their lives over the past two decades. They are truly brave women in history here in Sacramento, and we can’t wait to share some of their stories.”

Women’s Empowerment provides a two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare and support services so women and their children can break the generational cycle of homelessness. Women’s Empowerment offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. On average, 70% of women in the program find housing for their families despite the ongoing housing crisis. Last year, 121 graduates secured employment or enrolled in paid training or education. Since 2001, 1,791 women have graduated from the program with their 3,897 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

United Way Announces 100th Anniversary Goal

Posted on by kthebaud

As United Way California Capital Region celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, the local nonprofit working to end poverty through education has announced a new goal to raise $3 million to help 10,000 kids excel in school by 2025.

“This is such an important year as we celebrate 100 years working together with this community to end poverty for local families,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “We have learned so much over the past 100 years, and now we are ready to enter our next century with a bold new goal. We know education is a proven ladder out of poverty, and we know school is square one for reaching families in need. With kids coming out of Covid even more behind in school, we have doubled down on our commitment to raise the resources necessary for our region’s children to excel in school and thrive as adults.”

Focusing on schools through its Square One approach, United Way California Capital Region offers a wide array of programming and services to ensure children and their families have the resources they need to succeed in school and in adulthood. From a regional reading tutoring program and school-readiness services for incoming kindergarteners to an income program for foster youth, guaranteed income for families, free tax preparation services and more, United Way has created a holistic approach that starts in schools. United Way’s work centers families in their children’s academic achievement by helping children excel in school, investing in families, and strengthening schools with resources to address increased poverty and deep roots of racial inequality.   

“We know a quality education helps children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills that lay the foundation for a more fulfilling and stable life,” Early said. “Research shows that students who are not proficient in reading by the end of third grade falter in later grades and often drop out before earning a high school diploma.”

To make a donation to the 100th anniversary campaign or to learn more about United Way’s programs and services, visit: YourLocalUnitedWay.org. For 100 years, United Way California Capital Region has been working to end poverty by creating stronger, healthier, more compassionate communities. Since 1923, the local United Way has raised more than $500 million to fight poverty in the region and help families succeed.

United Way’s milestone year will culminate on April 29 with its 100th Anniversary Gala at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. The fundraiser will honor the local United Way’s past, recognize present impact, and look forward to building a future where everyone in the region has the opportunities and resources to thrive. The event will include silent and live auctions, dinner and a keynote presentation by San Francisco 49er Arik Armstead who also cofounded the Armstead Academic Project that supports students in Sacramento and the Bay Area. For tickets, visit YourLocalUnitedWay.org.

Women’s Empowerment to Hold Gala at Railroad Museum

Posted on by kthebaud

Sacramento nonprofit Women’s Empowerment invites community members to attend its 21st annual gala at 6pm on Sept. 29 at the California Railroad Museum. Guests will gather in person at the Brighter Futures Gala for the first time since 2019 to raise funds for Sacramento women and children experiencing homelessness and celebrate the accomplishments of program graduates. The event will include dinner, presentations by program graduates, a live auction, award ceremony and more.

The annual gala is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising a fifth of the group’s budget to empower women experiencing homelessness to secure employment and safe homes for their families. To purchase tickets, sponsor a graduate to attend, or purchase virtual tickets, visit Womens-Empowerment.org.

“As we step back in time at the historic Railroad Museum, we we will honor the resilient women who have graduated from our programs, and celebrate the beautiful, bright futures ahead for the women and children we look forward to serving who have yet to overcome homelessness,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “We are excited to come together once again with our steadfast community here in Sacramento to ensure that more women can rise from homelessness in the face of a prolonged pandemic and housing crisis. We will need everyone working together in the months and years ahead so women have the resources to secure good jobs and safe homes for their families.”

To ensure safety of guests and graduates, proof will be required of either Covid vaccination or a negative Covid test within 48 hours. The venue is well ventilated with high ceilings and outdoor spaces.

Women’s Empowerment is a Sacramento nonprofit providing an eight-week employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare and support services so women and their children can break the cycle of homelessness. Women’s Empowerment offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. On average, 70% of women in the program find housing during the ongoing housing crisis. Last year, 142 job placements were achieved by Women’s Empowerment graduates. Since its founding in 2001, the award-winning organization has graduated 1,752 women and their 3,879 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

Local Doctor to Run Canyons 100k to Raise Funds for Sac Life Center

Posted on by kthebaud
Dr. Phelan wears a blue shirt and running gear in the early morning before sunrise

Local physician Dr. Timothy Phelan will run the Canyons 100k on April 23 to raise funds to expand health and nutrition programs for new moms at the Sacramento Life Center. Phelan practices at Creekside OB/GYN of Folsom and has completed more than 50 competitive running events in the last 10 years, including road marathons and ultra-marathons. This is his fourth fundraiser for the Sacramento Life Center, raising more than $30,000 total in his previous 100k, 50k and 40k runs. Phelan hopes to raise $10,000 for the Sacramento Life Center during the Canyons 100k. To make a donation, visit SacLife.org.

“For 50 years, the Sacramento Life Center has offered a safe place for women to find the compassion and support they need to become a parent,” Phelan said. “I am proud to support this wonderful organization and its mission. I hope our community members will donate however much they can.”

Considered the birthplace of mountain ultra-trail running, the Canyons 100k is run over the most scenic and difficult sections of the Western States trail. The 100-kilometer (62.2 mile) route travels from downtown Auburn to the China Wall staging area campground, with more than 16,000 feet of ascent. Runners will experience panorama vistas of the Sierras and cross streams and wooden bridges through historic settlements like Michigan Bluff and Deadwood Cemetery, traveling the same trails prospectors and mules did more than 150 years ago.

“Dr. Phelan is a tireless advocate for pregnant women and new moms, and we are so grateful that he chooses to support the Sacramento Life Center through his competitive races,” said Marie Leatherby, executive director, Sacramento Life Center. “The pandemic and housing crisis have been especially rough on the moms we serve. Every donation will make an important difference for a local family.”

Now in its 50th anniversary year, the Sacramento Life Center’s mission is to offer compassion, support, resources and free medical care to women and couples facing an unplanned or unsupported pregnancy. The Sacramento Life Center’s licensed Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic includes a primary clinic and mobile clinic that provide all services for free, including pregnancy tests, STD tests, ultrasounds, pap smears, well woman exams, patient advocacy for men and women, education and resource referrals. In 2018, the Sacramento Life Center achieved accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, which ensures the group has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of high-quality health care. The nonprofit also offers a 24-hour hotline and program for women who have experienced pregnancy loss. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center’s Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic, visit SVPClinic.com. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center or to make a donation, visit SacLife.org.

United Way’s Women United to Celebrate 20 Years Helping Local Foster Youth

Posted on by kthebaud
September Hargrove stands at a podium that says Women United in black and white while she wears a red shirt and skirt

United Way California Capital Region’s Women United action group is inviting community members to its 20th anniversary luncheon on March 25 from 11am-1pm at the Croatian American Cultural Center in Sacramento, where influential professional women from across the state will gather to raise awareness and funds to support local foster youth. The event, which takes place during Women’s History Month, will celebrate the power of women working together to prepare local foster youth for adulthood and will include stories of youth whose lives have been changed over the past 20 years. The event will include lunch, presentations by local foster youth who participated in a writing partnership with nonprofit 916 Ink called “Find Your Voice,” and information about how to get involved. Tickets and sponsorships will benefit United Way California Capital Region’s programs for foster youth. Ticket sales end on March 4: YourLocalUnitedWay.org/WU2022.

“This is a remarkable opportunity to celebrate what women in our community have done together for local foster youth over the past two decades,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “As we move into a new decade of work, we face new challenges, but we know that this powerful group of women will continue to find new ways to meet the most pressing needs of foster youth in our community so they are prepared for success in adulthood.”

United Way’s Women United, founded as United Way’s Women in Philanthropy in 2002 with 35 members, has grown to 250 members and is now part of a global United Way network of more than 75,000 women taking action and impacting change. Local members have raised $2 million for United Way’s foster youth programs, also offering hundreds of life skills workshops and holding special events to showcase career opportunities and bring foster care professionals together to address current needs in the California capital region. Since 2011, the group has helped nearly 1,500 foster youth open bank accounts called Individual Development Accounts, a type of matched savings account, so they can leave the foster care system with money they have earned. Learn more about Women United: YourLocalUnitedWay.org/Women-United.

For nearly 100 years, United Way California Capital Region has brought local people together to make community change happen. With a mission to build stronger, healthier and more compassionate communities, the local United Way starts at square one: helping every family succeed so their community can too. Serving Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties, the local United Way is working to meet its 20-year commitment to significantly reduce poverty in the region by helping kids excel in school, investing in families, creating meaningful partnerships and organizing to lift impacted families. For more information or to make a donation: YourLocalUnitedWay.org.