Arata Brothers Trust and Kaiser Permanente recently gave grants to Sacramento nonprofit Women’s Empowerment’s comprehensive job-readiness programs for women experiencing homelessness. Arata Brothers Trust donated $15,000 to Women’s Empowerment’s nine-week program that helps women who are homeless overcome barriers so they can find homes and jobs. Kaiser Permanente donated $10,000 to Women’s Empowerment’s domestic violence and substance abuse support groups that help women who are homeless overcome the effects of domestic violence and substance abuse so they can find safe homes, steady work and a healthy lifestyle.
“We know that employment is the best way to end homelessness,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “But it takes more than just a resume to secure a job. The majority of women we serve are survivors of domestic violence and are also seeking help as they maintain a clean-and-sober lifestyle. With funding from Arata Brothers Trust and Kaiser Permanente, we are able to help homeless women regain the skills they need to get and keep a job so they can create a safe future for their families. Thank you to Arata Brothers Trust and Kaiser Permanente for their lasting impact on the lives of homeless women and children in this community.”
In Women’s Empowerment’s initial nine-week program, women who are homeless receive 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. She attends classes on job readiness, financial literacy, confidence building, health and empowerment, as well as support groups for domestic violence and substance abuse. Women then focus on job placement with their employment specialist and volunteer career mentor.
Women who have graduated from the nine-week program can enroll in the group’s graduate services at any point in their lives when they need assistance. Services include paid job training, vocational certifications, counseling with a social worker and employment specialist, access to a professional clothing closet, and job retention services for employer and employee.
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. The award-winning organization has graduated 1,437 homeless women and their 3,500 children since 2001. Last year, 92 percent of graduates found homes, and 81 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.