Women’s Empowerment Receives $25K from Nationwide and Union Pacific

Women’s Empowerment has received two grants totaling $25,000 from Union Pacific and Nationwide to help homeless women in Sacramento find homes and jobs that support their families through the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area specifically designed for homeless women. Union Pacific provided $10,000, and Nationwide provided $15,000.

“Although the economy is improving, finding work when a woman is homeless can be nearly impossible without the right tools,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “The situation of homeless families in our community is dire – the Sacramento County Office of Education reports nearly 12,000 students are experiencing homelessness. We are grateful to Union Pacific and Nationwide for providing funding that will break the cycle of homelessness for many of these families.”

Women’s Empowerment’s initial eight-week program for women who are homeless in Sacramento provides women with free onsite child care in the group’s child development center and transportation assistance. Each woman works with a master’s level social worker to address her root causes of homelessness, attending classes on job-readiness, confidence and empowerment. She receives health services, focuses on job readiness with her employment specialist and volunteer career mentor, and learns financial literacy. When she graduates after eight weeks, she can access Women’s Empowerment’s graduate services at any point in her life, which include certifications, counseling, GED preparation, access to a professional clothing closet, financial literacy, and paid job training through the group’s Get A Job Kit Training and small business.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, Women’s Empowerment was recently featured on NBC’s TODAY Show and on CNN.com for offering the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women who are homeless and their children. The 2014 Organization of the Year has graduated 1,322 homeless women and their 3,000 children. Last year, 93 percent of graduates found homes and 83 percent found jobs or enrolled in school or training. The program combines self-esteem courses, job training, health classes and support services to help homeless women across diverse ages, races and cultures. Women’s Empowerment is funded solely through private donations from the community. To donate online: www.womens-empowerment.org.