22 Years Of Empowerment
Check out these graduate stories from graduates over 20 years at Women’s Empowerment.
Celebrate the empowerment the WE community has helped build over the past 22 years!
Moving to Sacramento while trying to find her place in the world, Kandi found acceptance and job resources at Women’s Empowerment. Her strength and dedication show through all of her hard work, graduating not only from our 8-week program during COVID-19, but also our Ready to Rent program. She is now enrolled in R.E.N.E.W., our paid property management job-training. Interviews lined up and on her way to permanent housing, Kandi brings her positivity to everything she sets out to accomplish, happy dancing toward her goals!
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Despite the challenges Crystal experienced with homelessness and addiction, she still had the courage to pursue her dreams, On her first day at Women’s Empowerment, Crystal told our Employment Specialists that it was her dream to get a job working for the State, less than a year later she is living her dream. Not only does Crystal have a job with the state but she was able to purchase a car, stay clean, and move into a home of her own.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Being the only female chef in a kitchen with all men didn’t phase Brandy at all, why would it? She had already overcome so much.
Just a few short years ago Brandy was without a permanent place to to live and was struggling with addiction. She never gave up though, with support from her family, friends, and the Women’s Empowerment community, Brandy turned her life around.
“I worked my butt off and now can hold my own.”
Today, Brandy has her sobriety, a great job, a home, and a future she is excited about.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Though she is very humble, what Michaela has accomplished since experiencing homelessness with her family just a few short years ago is truly inspirational. When Michaela found herself unemployed due to Covid while expecting a new baby, she drew upon her strength and the confidence she gained at Women’s Empowerment and continued to pave a path forward. She and her family boldly launched B.T. Movers, a family-owned moving company. In just a little over a month, the business has already grossed nearly $10,000 in profit, and Michaela and her husband have continued to raise their children in safe and stable housing.
Together, WE can empower! #bdog2021 #WEsacramento
“As simple as it sounds, having someone look you in the eye and have a conversation with you when you’re homeless means the world.” Greeting students and graduates each day, our safety monitor, Quynn, understands the daily struggles of the women coming to WE. His mother, Judy, found a caring and compassionate community at WE when she and Quynn were living out of their car. She continued to be empowered by the dignity and respect around her, as she interned with Assembly Member Kevin McCarty. Judy is now working full-time for Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian, and Quynn, grateful for the positive impact WE had on his mother and himself, now gives back every day through his work at Women’s Empowerment, treating everyone with the same respect and dignity that meant the world to him just a few years ago.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Wendy found a safe haven at Women’s Empowerment, a no-shame zone where she could embark on her journey of internal healing and bring down her walls. Dealing with generational domestic violence in her family, losing her children to her abuser, and experiencing homelessness, Wendy worked hard on her inner battles, knowing through self-care she would improve the outside factors of her life. While life is messy and complicated, Wendy actively pursues her goals to keep moving forward, as she says, “forward is progress, not perfection.”
Due to her continued dedication to self-improvement, Wendy is now living in a two-bedroom apartment with her youngest daughter, whom she hiked with this past weekend, pictured here.
Check out Wendy ringing the job bell: https://bit.ly/3dFEg9W
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Knowing first hand the positive benefits of the program, Shoshanna recently visited WE to share encouragement with the women enrolled in one of our job-training programs. She finds joy and gives back through her work at Volunteers for America, empathizing with the struggles so many face. Six years ago, after a cross-country move to California, Shoshana found herself without many belongings, or a safe place to live. The LGBT Center referred her to Women’s Empowerment where she found the resources and confidence she needed to restart her career and rebuild her life. A truly empowered woman, she has gone from homelessness to helping others find housing.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Growing up in foster care and going through domestic violence, Tara’s walls were up. She found it hard to let other people in. Now, she would be unrecognizable to her past self, always radiating positivity. She is a committed advocate for Women’s Empowerment, the home-away-from-home that helped her come out of her shell and find her voice. She isn’t afraid to use her voice, advocating for herself in her job at Raley Field, and is always striving to better herself and grow.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Joanna describes her 8 years of homelessness as unendingly frightening. After she came to Women’s Empowerment, she found the confidence she needed to get back in the workforce. Joanna found employment, but was unable to afford permanent housing and continued to experience homelessness.
She wanted to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, but struggled to find a program she could afford that also allowed her to work during the day. Through WE’s partnership with the National Council of Jewish Women Sacramento, she was awarded a grant through the Bridge to Success program. Today, she finds fulfillment through caring for patients and spending time with her children.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Once homeless and living in a shelter, Sheila understands the relief and importance of having a place to call home. After coming to Women’s Empowerment and moving from transitional housing to her own apartment, she now gets to pay it forward. Sheila gives back to the community through work with Sister Nora’s Place at Loaves and Fishes, and her compassion is shown through her volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, where she helps build homes for families in need. She is excited about her new opportunities working with the State of California, where she was working before she was homeless. Sheila encourages others to keep working hard to better their lives, saying “there’s a bright light at the end of the rainbow.”
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
“Women are like phoenixes, rising from the ashes.” Margie turned her life around after her drug addiction, lack of employment history, and her kids growing up without a stable mother. She worked hard, seeking career resources at Women’s Empowerment, to enter the workforce, learning patience, customer service, and how to dress professionally. In 2019, Margie empowered herself to leave a toxic work environment after 7 years of employment. She now works full-time for Amazon, has a benefit package, reliable transportation, and her own apartment, where she likes to spoil her 7 grandkids.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Stopping by to drop off her Big Day of Giving donation, Chantay’s spirit is contagious. She refuses to be defined by the depression, trauma, addiction, and loss she has faced. After graduating from Women’s Empowerment in 2010 with half a year of sobriety under her belt and having gained confidence and resources, Chantay moved into her own apartment for the first time. Kept busy with the successful dog walking/sitting business she started, Chantay still finds the time to give back, volunteering in the WE Clothing Closet, telling her story, and sharing her strength, everyday living by her favorite quote, “lifting as we climb.”
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
“Everybody should feel like they have a purpose.” Women’s Empowerment graduate, Patty, found her purpose through advocacy. Experiencing a disability herself, Patty speaks up for the disabled community by being a part of the Sacramento County Disability Advisory Commission. Stepping out of her comfort zone to find her own voice, she passionately fights to ensure that women’s voices are heard. Through her work with the Sacramento National Women’s Political Caucus and the Capital Women’s Campaign, she finds fulfillment knowing she has a part to play in getting women elected into public office. Coming to Women’s Empowerment took courage, and every day Patty uses that same courage to create long-term change in our community. Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Sisterhood and taking care of others means everything to Ann, a Women’s Empowerment graduate from 2008. “People should take care of each other. People should be kind. There’s a lot of pain out there,” Ann says, reflecting upon the recent loss of her close friend (a fellow WE graduate) and her son. Ann repeats her mantra “I can,” when things get hard. She has written a chapter in a book, Resilience in Hard Times, and started her own business where she helps others in her community. Inspirational to many, Ann builds her sisterhood through her mission of helping others, truly living the life of an empowered woman.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
“It’s through the help I got from Women’s Empowerment, that I am okay today.” New to Sacramento, Gwendlyn was a single mother looking for ways to improve herself and make a better life for herself and her five children. Seeking services at Women’s Empowerment, she developed a special friendship with the social worker that made a great impact on her and her family. “Living with just 700 a month and food stamps, I would have never been able to send my kids to summer camp, but Women’s Empowerment helped make it possible, and it made a difference in their lives. They still remember it.”
Now, Gwendlyn is a caretaker for her handicapped son, and is grateful for her life and the roof over her head. She wants the community to know how important access to services is, “I still come to Women’s Empowerment and get help when I need it. I don’t have a computer. It is a blessing for the women in the community that are trying.” Gwendlyn gives credit to Women’s Empowerment for changing her life, but WE know it was all due to her hard work.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Jessica, the proud mom of a recent high school graduate, reflects back on the many ways their lives have changed since she sought resources at Women’s Empowerment. At the time, her son was just a young boy, and they were experiencing homelessness after fleeing domestic violence. As a single parent, Women’s Empowerment sent her on a journey to growth. It led her to stable housing and meaningful work. Through her work at St. John’s Program for Real Change, she makes a difference in someone else’s life daily. She sees herself in their journey and empowers others to “get up and do something for themselves every day.”
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
When Audrey moved to Sacramento in 2005 to be closer to family, she was unemployed and struggling with anxiety and depression. She had difficulty re-entering the workforce and became homeless, opting to stay in shelters. During that time, Audrey discovered an “oasis of safety and support” when she was referred to Women’s Empowerment. During the W.E. program Audrey regained her self-confidence; working with staff and classmates gave her a renewed sense of optimism about the future. After finishing Women’s Empowerment Class 19, Audrey was employed almost immediately and living independently not long after that. She continues to use the skills she learned during W.E. and has maintained her housing in the years since. She recently returned to W.E. for the Get A Job Kit class for graduates, and went on to complete Solar Installation Basics Training at a partner program, GRID. She’s looking to start a career in a clean energy/sustainable infrastructure industry and is working towards an apprenticeship with a trade union. The most important thing Audrey learned from Women’s Empowerment is, ”you can’t go back to the beginning and start over again, but you can start now and make a new ending.”
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
After Kris had her first child she became homeless. She stumbled across Women’s Empowerment and joined the program. Before coming to WE, she was angry at the world for turning its back on her, “I was mad that I had to stand in line to get a bed, a meal.” With her determination and support of WE staff, Kris found housing at St. John’s Program for Real Change and then began working there. When she battled cancer without support from her family, she knew she could rely on WE staff to be there, “They were my shoulder to cry on, when I wanted to give up, they got me out of bed.” She has found meaningful work with the elderly providing hospice care, rehab, and in-home care for the last 20 years. She now lives happily with her wife of 14 years and has the stability she has always longed for.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
“Being empowered means that you have the ability to make your own choices and use those choices wisely.” Jonell has always allowed her passions to drive her. After graduating from Women’s Empowerment, she followed her love of coffee by adding a coffee shop to the thrift store she opened. Her wise choices enabled her to purchase a home with the store’s profits for her family so she would never have to return to the streets. In late 2019, she sold her shop, a choice she describes as a “blessing in disguise,” because she narrowly missed the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The support she has while at WE continues to remind her that everyone deserves to succeed.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
Renee came in to ring the bell two weeks ago, inspiring current students in class with her story. Her 30 years of living in the streets didn’t magically end when she found Women’s Empowerment, but her time at WE gave her the tools to find what mattered to her: her family. Life’s ups and downs hit hard, but Renee kept reaching for the light and fighting for her sobriety. She started her path to independence 8 years ago, breaking her cycle of addiction, and says, “I am proud to be who I am now.” There’s a lot to be proud of. She secured housing this month and is currently working towards earning her GED. Renee knows she can handle anything life throws at her, “I see the fire but I can walk through the fire now.”
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
20 years ago Claudia felt like a stranger in her own skin. While struggling with addiction and homelessness she had become emaciated and had turned to sex work to survive. The trauma she had faced seemed insurmountable and she felt so alone, “I couldn’t see my life being any other way.” Claudia describes finding Women’s Empowerment as “an introduction to me, an introduction to possibility.”
Even after 20 years, she still recalls the wisdom imparted by a WE volunteer, “When dark times come you will hear NO many times, just know that with every NO, you are closer to a YES.” Today Claudia’s life is full of YES. YES to a successful career in community work, YES to homeownership, YES to healthy and loving relationships, and YES to loving herself.
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower
WE have been here, supporting women for the last 22 years. These grads have become part of the WE community, have inspired many, and will continue to EMPOWER.
The work is not done. There is a growing population of women and children experiencing homelessness who haven’t yet found the right resources. You can make a difference, volunteer, donate, and/or partner!
Together, WE can empower! #WEsacramento #weempower