Women’s Empowerment Receives $35K from Wells Fargo

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Women’s Empowerment has received $35,000 from Wells Fargo to provide workforce development skills, paid job training, job search assistance and housing support for women experiencing homelessness in Sacramento.

“For the past 14 years, Wells Fargo has helped to sustain our organization while also funding our new, innovative programs that meet the current needs of women experiencing homelessness,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “This year is no exception. As we face a prolonged pandemic and ongoing housing crisis, Wells Fargo has once again stepped up as a leader in our work to ensure women and children can overcome the highest obstacles as they work to break the cycle of homelessness.”

Women’s Empowerment is a Sacramento nonprofit providing 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 despite the ongoing housing crisis.

“While Wells Fargo invests heavily in sustainable and innovative housing solutions, we understand that housing alone isn’t enough to end homelessness,” said Kären Woodruff, senior vice president of social impact, Wells Fargo. “Women’s Empowerment’s proven track record shows that providing job training and supportive services allows women to take back their life and create a stable future.”

Wells Fargo has been one of Women’s Empowerment’s most consistent funders and has given more than $527,000 to the nonprofit since 2008. Last year, 142 job placements were achieved by Women’s Empowerment graduates. Since its founding in 2001, the award-winning organization has graduated 1,781 women and their 3,893 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org. 

Women’s Empowerment Receives $75K From Wells Fargo

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Women’s Empowerment has received $75,000 from Wells Fargo to provide workforce development skills, paid job training, job search assistance and housing support during the pandemic for women who are currently homeless or have recently experienced homelessness. Wells Fargo has been one of Women’s Empowerment’s longest funders, giving $442,450 since 2008.

“This profoundly generous gift from Wells Fargo will have a powerful effect on our community as we all work together to weather the storms of the pandemic, high unemployment and continued housing crisis,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “We are grateful to Wells Fargo for its longtime leadership in our community and for recognizing the essential role of nonprofits like ours in addressing this triple threat that has the most devastating impact on women and children without homes.”

Women’s Empowerment’s programs combine employment readiness, self-esteem courses, health services and education, counseling, housing assistance, job placement and paid job training to help women overcome homelessness across diverse ages, races and cultures. Women’s Empowerment was featured on NBC’s The TODAY Show in 2015 for offering the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women who are homeless and their children.

“Women’s Empowerment does more than provide women with the support, tools and resources needed to obtain a job and become self-sufficient,” said Kären Woodruff, Wells Fargo vice president of social impact and sustainability in Northern California. “It also – and perhaps most importantly – helps its clients open their eyes to see their strength, worth and potential, and that’s invaluable! We are honored to continue to support Women’s Empowerment and the work it does to lift women in their time of need.”

The award-winning organization has graduated 1,691 women and their 3,792 children. Last year, 70 percent of graduates found homes in the midst of the housing crisis, and 79 percent secured jobs or enrolled in school or training. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To donate: Womens-Empowerment.org.

Society for the Blind Receives $20K from Wells Fargo for Seniors

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Wells Fargo recently awarded Society for the Blind in Sacramento a $20,000 grant to provide education, training and assistive devices to 500 Sacramento-area seniors who are blind or have low vision. The funding will support the group’s Senior IMPACT Project that empowers people age 55 and older who have vision loss with alternative non-visual techniques and skills that enable them to perform daily tasks and activities so they can maintain or increase independence.

“With Sacramento’s rapidly growing senior population, requests for our services are higher than ever,” said Shari Roeseler, executive director, Society for the Blind. “Thanks to Wells Fargo’s generous funding, we can provide even more seniors who are blind or have low vision with the support they need to age safely, preserve their independence and connect with their community.”

Society for the Blind is the sole provider of comprehensive rehabilitative services for people who are blind or have low vision throughout 27 counties in northern California. The group’s Senior IMPACT Project includes a monthly eight-day retreat that gives seniors an immersion experience to learn alternative techniques and skills to travel safely, efficiently and independently. They practice alternative techniques and use adapted tools to perform tasks of daily living including cooking, cleaning, shopping, home maintenance, organization, personal finance and more. They learn how to use the latest in assistive technology to operate computers and mobile devices for home, school and work, and they learn Braille. Participants receive individualized attention from instructors and mentors who are blind or low vision, and they have the opportunity to join discussion groups with peers on issues around vision loss and participate in community activities.

For those unable to attend retreats, Society for the Blind sends instructors to their homes to teach skills and offer resources. The project also includes monthly peer support groups for English and Spanish speakers and workshops throughout the year. The project recently expanded services to the Asian community, offering a monthly support group for Asian language speakers.

“As our loved ones age, one of the highest priorities is to ensure they can navigate the world around them with dignity, even if they experience declines in health or mental and physical agility,” said Kären Woodruff, community relations associate manager, Wells Fargo. “Wells Fargo is proud to continue support for Society for the Blind’s Senior IMPACT Project, which provides tools for seniors facing changes in their vision or vision loss, allowing them to remain self-sufficient and independent into their golden years.”

Celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, Society for the Blind has created innovative ways to empower individuals living with low vision or blindness to discover, develop and achieve their full potential. Society for the Blind has grown from a dedicated group of volunteers to a nationally recognized agency and the only comprehensive rehabilitative teaching center that provides services for a 27-county region of northern California. The nonprofit provides low-vision eye care, life and job skills training, mentorship, and access to tools to maintain independence for more than 5,000 youth, working-age adults and seniors experiencing vision loss each year. For more information or to make a donation, visit SocietyfortheBlind.org.

The Wells Fargo Foundation is the company’s primary philanthropic funding arm. As part of Wells Fargo’s long legacy of investing in community impact, the company has increased its philanthropic giving 25 times over the past 28 years. In 2018, Wells Fargo reached a new milestone of donating $444 million to directly benefit nearly 11,000 nonprofit organizations. To learn more, visit WellsFargo.com.

Society for the Blind Receives $15K from Wells Fargo

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Society for the Blind in Sacramento recently received a $15,000 grant from Wells Fargo to provide education, training and assistive devices to Sacramento-area seniors who are blind or have low vision. The funding will support Society for the Blind’s Senior IMPACT Project that empowers people age 55 and older with alternative, non-visual techniques and skills that enable them to perform daily tasks and activities so they can maintain or increase independence.

“As the senior population in Sacramento continues to expand, so does the need for services like our Senior IMPACT Project that help seniors not only cope with vision loss, but also regain their independence,” said Shari Roeseler, executive director, Society for the Blind. “We are so thankful that Wells Fargo has invested in active aging and vitality of older adults in our region.”

Society for the Blind’s Senior IMPACT Project includes an eight-day retreat offered monthly at Society for the Blind that gives seniors an immersion experience where they learn alternative techniques and skills to travel safely, efficiently and independently. They practice techniques and use adapted tools to perform tasks of daily living including cooking, cleaning, shopping, home maintenance, organization, personal finance and more. They learn how to use the latest in assistive technology to operate computers and mobile devices for home, school and work, and they learn Braille. Participants receive individualized attention from instructors and mentors who are blind or low vision, can join discussion groups with peers on issues around vision loss, participate in community activities, attend monthly peer support groups in English and Spanish, and attend workshops throughout the year. For those unable to attend retreats, Society for the Blind sends instructors to their homes to teach skills and offer resources.

“Wells Fargo understands the importance of empowering individuals who are in need of critical community resources,” said Kären Woodruff, community affairs senior consultant. “Our investment in this program builds confidence and independent living skills for these seniors and goes a long way to strengthen and reinforce the efforts of Society for the Blind’s overall programming.”

For more than 60 years, Society for the Blind has created innovative ways to empower individuals living with low vision or blindness to discover, develop and achieve their full potential. Society for the Blind has grown from a dedicated group of volunteers to a nationally recognized agency and the only comprehensive rehabilitative teaching center that provides services for a 27-county region of northern California. The nonprofit provides low-vision eye care, life and job skills training, mentorship, and access to tools to maintain independence for 6,000 youth, adults and seniors experiencing vision loss each year. For more information or to make a donation, visit SocietyfortheBlind.org.

Wells Fargo provides monetary support, expertise and volunteers to national and local nonprofit organizations and causes that align with their business priorities, values, business expertise and geographies. The company focuses its philanthropic activities on creating long-term strategic relationships with nonprofits and other organizations to create innovative, sustainable solutions to meet local needs. Wells Fargo supports thousands of national and community-based nonprofits annually to help revitalize and strengthen communities. The company is among the top corporate cash donors among U.S. companies, donating $286.5 million to 14,500 nonprofits in 2017 to support critical social, economic and environmental challenges. To learn more, visit WellsFargo.com.

Women’s Empowerment Receives $45K From Wells Fargo

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Wells Fargo & Company recently granted $45,000 to Sacramento nonprofit Women’s Empowerment for job training for formerly homeless women through the group’s Get A Job Kit Training, which provides paid stipends to participants. Funds also will support Women’s Empowerment’s on-the-job training in customer service and office administration, as well as transportation in partnership with Paratransit.

“The Get A Job Kit Training provides formerly homeless women with a unique opportunity to begin immediately building a financially stable home – something most other organizations serving homeless women are not able to offer,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “We are grateful to Wells Fargo for its steadfast support as we empower women once homeless to find a steady job and a stable home for their families.”

Women’s Empowerment launched The Get A Job Kit Training with the help of Wells Fargo in 2014 to train women in the production, customer service, shipping and receiving industries. The program includes four-week paid training sessions with education and training in the field, assembly instruction and work with employment specialists. Trainees assemble the Get A Job Kits and send to customers, and receive training on safety in the workplace, conflict resolution, quality assurance and inventory management. Forty graduates have completed the training, with 70% now employed with local businesses. In the first year, 24 graduates sold and shipped 5,000+ Get A Job Kits across the country. For more information: www.getajobkit.com.

“I’m 44 and I felt like I missed out on life until I came to Women’s Empowerment,” said Lisa Costabile, one of the first Get A Job Kit Training graduates. “Now I feel like my life is just starting. And with the training we’ve received,  we can walk into any employer and be more of an asset. Now I’m ready to start a career. Whatever I need to do, I’ll do it.”

The award is part of Wells Fargo’s targeted commitment to strengthen communities challenged by the highest levels of unemployment. Wells Fargo awarded $2.3 million to 59 nonprofits across California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. The organizations offer people advancement opportunities by providing services focused on small- and micro-business development, workforce development and job creation. For more information: www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr.

“By directing $2.3 million to communities that are challenged by the highest levels of unemployment, it is our hope that we can change the economic prosperity of communities – one person at a time,” said Kevin Barri, community foothills area president of Wells Fargo. “Hearing the success stories from formerly homeless women now gainfully employed and stable confirms our investment in their future is paying off.”

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 1,349 homeless women and their 3,500 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 through private donations from the community and receives no government funding except for in-kind rent from the County of Sacramento. To make a donation: www.womens-empowerment.org.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,800 locations, 13,000 ATMs, and the Internet and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 269,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked number 27 on Fortune’s 2016 rankings of America’s largest corporations. For more information: www.wellsfargo.com.