The Amazing Current Work of our Grantees

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Last March, Women Give San Diego (WGSD) came together for the annual Grant Awards Celebration. Through the gift of $92,000, WGSD was able to honor and recognize the valuable impact that San Diego Youth Services, Community Housing Works, and Nile Sisters has made for women in San Diego. As we approach 2015’s Grants Award Celebration, we wanted to check-in with two of last year’s grantees and highlight some of their achievements and successes since receiving their awards.

STARS_programSan Diego Youth Services (SDYS) received support towards their STARS (Surviving Together, Achieving and Reaching for Success) program. The STARS program helps girls who have been involved with commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking through extensive medical care, mental health services, education, and case management. They aim to prevent girls between the ages of 12 and 17 from being re-victimized as they build a strong sense of self and develop skills in healthy decision-making, communication, and assertiveness.

Since receiving their grant from WGSD, SDYS STARS program has helped 73 young women, surpassing their goal of serving 40 young women in the program’s first year. They have produced numerous workshops focused on job readiness skills, health awareness and self-sufficiency. Additionally, STARS has developed a leadership program focused on peer mentorship and community trainings. Over the course of the year, participants completed nearly 350 hours of leadership work, which has allowed them to further their employment skills, strengthen their resumes, build self-confidence and become leaders in their communities. We look forward to seeing how the STARS program continues to grow and positively impact young women in San Diego.

Community_Housing_Works_WomenCommunity Housing Works (CHW) aimed to transform the lives of 150-250 women through their Women’s Achievement Club. Through Financial Fitness classes and a comprehensive Financial Health Club, women will be empowered with the tools and resources for financial stability and growth.

This past year, CHW celebrated the graduation of 175 women from the Financial Fitness Class. Many of the students had never managed their household finances prior to the program. Others were single mothers who hoped to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck and build a savings. After numerous workshops and classes, many of the women have achieved their personal goals of decreasing their debt, improving their credit score, and saving money. The Financial Health Club has helped open 10 savings account and 5 women have saved over $350.

CHW shared the story of Victoria Valenzuela, a single mother of three who was faced with a critical housing situation in 2013. Since participating in CHW’s Financial Fitness Class, Victoria was able to develop an action plan and achieve the lifelong goal of owning her own home. We encourage you to read more about Victoria’s story and get a personal look into how this program, with WGSD’s assistance, has transformed a woman’s life.

We hope you can join us on May 11, 2015, for our 5th Annual Grants Celebration. Through your generous support, WGSD will be granting $100,000 to several organizations!

 

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