HAPPILY EVERY AFTER

In my privileged role as my company’s United Way chair, I visited and investigated many worthy not-for-profits.  Many vignettes are imprinted in my memory from those organizations, but my general impression after I completed my two-year chairmanship was that volunteerism is a place where many good people save the lives of some, change the lives of many, but most assuredly improve the lives of all. 
 
Standing in the face of the curse of homelessness and its life-demeaning blight on women and families, Women’s Empowerment (“WE”) http://www.womens-empowerment.org/ remains in my heart a pure testimony of love and compassion.  Asked by Great Nonprofits to write a review of WE, I was pleased to submit the following http://greatnonprofits.org/users/reviews/42126:

What does it take for a homeless woman's life to achieve the classic storybook ending? Exactly the combination of program components which Women's Empowerment is dedicated to providing.

Can a homeless woman under the strains of addiction live Happily Ever After? No, so WE inspires her to conquer that addiction by reserving the program for those who are clean and sober. And the incentives of reuniting with family, finding a job, and finding a home provide powerful inspiration. Programs which address addiction alone cannot address the other, crippling issues of joblessness and separation from family.

Can a homeless woman live Happily Ever After? No, so WE inspires her to find housing, but only after providing training and even clothing for job-readiness to pay for that housing. The most worthy housing programs are empty promises to the woman who has neither the plan nor the resources to sustainably pay the rent and utilities.

Can a homeless woman live Happily Ever After if she has lost her family? No, but by allowing her to recover from the root causes which caused her to lose her family (addiction, joblessness, and homelessness), WE makes available the path toward that life-altering family reunion that makes her whole. While wonderful programs exist to allow families to visit and reunite on a temporary basis, no permanent reunion is possible without the sustainability of job and income which our programming provides.

Can a homeless woman live Happily Ever After if she has lost her job? No, but by providing training allowing her to recover from the root causes which caused her to lose her job (substandard work skills, emotional and psychological impairment, inadequate wardrobe), WE paves the way with computer skills training, resume building, and wardrobe availability for that successful interview and future job. Other job training programs provide excellent transitional assistance to those whose skills are stale, but may not address the self-esteem issues that are unique to homeless women.

I am proud to help WE help bring the Happily Ever After storytale ending to the homeless women of our area!