I didn’t do it because I had the perfect body.

I did it because I didn’t.

I was just recovering from the birth of my second child, and needed to shake a bit of baby fat, in fact.

And, after 10 years of caring for my mom, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and becoming a mom myself, I needed to turn my attention back to taking care of myself a bit.

So when my girlfriend told me that she was entering the Mrs. Maryland pageant, instead of putting it off in hopes for a better time, or a better body, I decided to enter with her.

Life was short, I had realized as I cared for my ailing mother. Entering a pageant was on the bucket list I’d created for myself when she became ill.

In December 2007, when I officially decided to enter and prepare for the pageant, I had crossed off a few things on the list. I had run a marathon and earned a master’s degree.

Both were challenging. But neither involved a swimsuit competition.

I knew that this experience would push me further beyond my comfort zone than I ever had been.

So, I didn’t do it because I had the perfect body, or because I was dying to parade around on stage in a swimsuit.

I did it because I didn’t, and I wasn’t.

And because I wanted my daughter to see that when there are challenges, when you have to go outside your comfort zone, when you aren’t sure, that you can still take on anything you want, and succeed.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved watching the Miss America pageants on television, but it had never occurred to me that I could be in one.

Much less win one.

But on June 25, 2008, I did.

And while the crown is nice, I have been more struck by the process itself. Of learning about and testing my limits as I got back into shape and prepared for the various aspects of the pageant, including the interview.

It was through the interviews—which counted as half of our score—that I learned the amazing stories of my fellow contestants. About their careers as engineers, their PhDs, about their extensive community service.

About my fellow contestant who immigrated to this country 15 years ago, and has worked for seven days a week at her own business since then to create a future for her children. This year, her daughter graduated from the University of Maryland.

And every woman I met through the pageant had an inspiring story like this, of how she is impacting her family, her community and her own individual self-confidence.

And that is where the true beauty in the Mrs. Maryland pageant lies for me.

Because each of us was uncomfortable with the swimsuit competition and with being on stage, but we did it anyway.  Because of our sense of what we had to offer, as women, beyond what we looked like, beyond what everyone might see on the outside every day.

And yes, I enjoy wearing the crown. It has great meaning and significance for me.

But what I most treasure about it is the opportunity I have while I have the honor of wearing it to serve as a role model for other girls and women.

And what I hope I am able to convey to each of them is a concept I heard in a Tiger Woods commercial, where his father says to him, "I promise you that you’ll never meet another person as mentally tough as you in your entire life.”

Because I believe that the strongest gift we can give to each other as women, and pass along to our daughters, is the idea that the greatest goal is mental strength, and that each of us possesses it. That if you can dream it, you can make it happen.

At 37, I never thought it possible that I would be wearing a crown that I didn’t buy for myself.

And having the honor of wearing this one reminds me every day that its beauty has far more to do with the pretty face it frames, and actually represents the whole of the mind, spirit and strength that it surrounds.

Siobhan Davenport is a member of The Women’s Foundation’s board of directors and is the reigning 2008 Mrs. Maryland. She will compete in the national Mrs. America pageant in September. Siobhan’s platform and philanthropic interests include support for Alzheimer’s treatment and research, and increasing awareness of and support for early child care and education. She is an investor in The Women’s Foundation’s Early Child Care and Education Collaborative.

A few weeks ago, Phyllis blogged about being a guest editor on Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty site.

And now, her post is live.  "From Orphan to Millionaire: The story of an amazing woman," discusses a woman who has been a source of inspiration to Phyllis, both for her business saavy and her philanthropy. 

"Based on what I know about Madame Walker, I assume that her products would fit into the former category. Because her life tells the story of a woman who didn’t necessarily seek to enrich herself, but to enrich every woman around her.   This is how good business, in the truest sense of the word “good,” is conducted. Not with only a profit motive, but with a people motive," Phyllis writes.

Read the full column.

The Women’s Foundation is proud to report that four staff members of Grantee Partners have been selected for the 2008-2009 class of Future Executive Directors sponsored by the Nonprofit Roundtable.

We congratulate each of the leaders selected for this year’s class (and noted that 20 of the 24 are women!).  And we extend a special salute to the following staff members of Grantee Partners of The Women’s Foundation:

• Jenny Friedman, Director of Development at CASA de Maryland;
• Karen Minatelli, Deputy Director at DC Employment Justice Center;
• Donna Ortega, Associate Director at Capital Area Asset Builders; and,
• Jennifer Shewmake, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Grants Manager at the Latin American Youth Center.

This is the first class of fellows in this program, and The Women’s Foundation salutes these women not only as examples of women’s leadership in our community, but as trailblazers in this new and exciting initiative of the Nonprofit Roundtable as it works to build the effectiveness of the nonprofit sector through leadership development.

Congratulations and good luck to each of this year’s fellows! 

Philanthropist Laurie Emrich, a "woman moving millions," and a founding board member and supporter of The Women’s Foundation, as well as many international women’s funds, describes how her journey from Denver to Africa to Washington, D.C. was an intellectual, spiritual and emotional one leading to her commitment to give back to her community and to "participate in the long-term building of an inclusive, community-based, multi-racial movement for justice."

Read more about Laurie’s journey to social justice and philanthropy in her own words here.

Laurie explains in her piece that she derives inspiration from the words of 1960s rhythm and blues singer-songwriter Wilson Pickett: "Ya gotta shake whatcha brought whicha."

Laurie’s story is one of transforming the gifts and abundance she has received into a true spirit and lifetime of giving back. 

She inspires us all to consider what we all "brought whicha," and how we can use it–whatever our gifts–to better our communities and the world.

Today, I had the pleasure of joining Phyllis, our president, and our new philanthropic education officer, Nicole, at the Prince George’s County Fire Department’s "Hour of Power." 

The staff around The Women’s Foundation know that I’m a big advocate of the "civilized lunch," where you actually leave your desk and talk to other human beings. 

The women of the Prince George’s County Fire Department are taking that idea a lot further–gathering for "Hour of Power" lunches to get to know one other, take time out for their goals, dreams and wishes and to foster their own sense of empowerment through each other.

Now that’s a civilized, if not inspiring, awesome idea.

And if that’s not inspiring enough, their theme for this year is "Vision to Victory." 

Phyllis was asked to come in as the guest speaker and to lead today’s lunch.  She started off with the videos and stories of Lacey Paey and Sharan Mitchell–and their personal stories of vision to victory. 

Then the discussion moved to the power of women to support their families and communities, and the many ways that they give back, often without realizing the extent of their impact. 

Invariably, in a room full of dynamic, powerful women like those that we met today, the conversation eventually turned to The Power of Giving Together, and how women, working together, can accomplish so much.  

When asked what this group might like to do, together, what issues they saw in their community that they wanted to see changed, it was clear that many were already playing an active role in programs and interventions to help build the self-esteem of young women or in supporting individuals who needed information or resources to move into better careers.

Power indeed.

By the end of the hour, as we made our way out to head back to the office, we walked through groups of excited chatter about ways to get involved, ways to do more, ways to work together to positively impact their community.

In summing up, Lieutenant Colonel Carla Blue, who convened the Hour of Power, offered a great statement that embodies what we refer to as The Power of Giving Together.

"A little bit with so many can add up to so much," she said, concluding a very empowering hour, indeed.

At The Women’s Foundation, we have a phrase for men who support our mission.  We call them guys who get it.

We’re lucky to have many wonderful, supportive men in our camp here in our local area, including Leroy Pingho, Ralph Boyd, Jr. and Frederic L. Ballard, Jr.

This past Sunday’s Washington Post has a wonderful and thoughtful article in the Outlook section written by the Dalai Lama, titled, "My Vision of a Compassionate Future. "

He writes so eloquently about how we, as a global community, can and must bring about a more peaceful world through non-violent, pro-active approaches to social change. He tells us that we need to instill a sense of caring for others, to tap our compassion, and to teach our children to develop their brains and their hearts.

He goes on to write: "To promote greater compassion, we must pay special attention to the role of women. Given that mothers carry the fetus for months within their own bodies, from a biological point of view women in general may possess greater sensitivity of heart and capacity for empathy. My first teacher of love and compassion was my own mother, who provided me with maximum love. I do not mean to reinforce in any way the traditional view that a woman’s place is confined to the home. I believe that the time has come for women to take more active roles in all domains of human society, in an age in which education and the capacities of the mind, not physical strength, define leadership. This could help create a more equitable and compassionate society."

This paragraph nearly jumped off the page for me. The Dalai Lama speaks of something that we at The Women’s Foundation have known for a long time: that the world would be a much better place if women were given equitable opportunities and a chance to reach their full potential.

The Dalai Lama is definitely a guy who gets it.

Jennifer Cortner is president of EFX Media and serves on The Women’s Foundation’s board of directors and as the chair of the communications committee.  Our committees are just one of many ways that you can get involved in our work and making sure the women of our region get a chance to reach their full potential.  There’s a place for everyone at The Women’s Foundation.  Find yours today.

However you feel about Hillary, it’s hard to deny that she represents far more than a Democratic bid for the presidency at every possible level. 

Love her or hate her, love her and hate her, even just feel a little lukewarm (Okay, noone feels that way), whatever your inclination, Hillary, and how she is treated in the media, as a candidate, by women, by everyone, mirrors back how uncomfortable or comfortable we are–as a nation, as women–with women’s leadership at the highest levels.

While certainly the controversial nature of her candidacy in itself is a variable in this election and in the discourse around her, we would be wise to truly ask ourselves–consistently and throughout her candidacy (and potential presidency)–if that is really the issue when we are speaking, reading or learning about her.

If we are truly talking about Hillary–or if we are talking about women’s leadership or about Hillary as a woman candidate.  It is an important distinction, and one we would all be well-served to ask ourselves, whatever side of the aisle we sit on.

Over the past few weeks, a number of articles and blogs have brought this home, raising issues not only about Hillary, but about women’s leadership in general.

The Washington Post article, Gatekeepers of Hillaryland, described her campaign, and its primarily female cadres of staffers and advisors self-titled as "Hillaryland." 

AlterNet featured a piece showcasing "What Women See When They See Hillary" that discusses how some feminists feel about Hillary, and how, and why, feelings have shifted over time. 

Feministing ran a post on "Female candidates and women’s issues" on the double standard that impacts women leaders, who can be labeled as too soft for focusing on women’s issues, or too "mannish" if they focus on things like national security. 

Reinvention featured a post along the same lines, addressing three "damned if you do, damned if you don’t" contradictions that face women leaders in business–and certainly apply to those in politics.

On yet another dichotomous note, Feministing then describes how "Hillary faces dowdy/whore dichotomy," asking whether America can tolerate female leaders and politicians who flaunt their feminine, sexual sides. 

All of this begs a few questions:

1.  One female blogger notes:  "This Washington Post article calls her campaign Hillaryland.  That name doesn’t bode well with me. I smell sexism. You never hear them saying Guillianiworld or Romneyville. Hillary’s campaign is groundbreaking. The media needs to show it some respect."

I find myself agreeing, because I think she’s right.

But then I remember that Hilaryland is self-titled, not media appropriated.  The campaign is calling itself this, and, as many are speculating, possibly pitching articles like these to soften and humanize Hillary. 

I want to know why.  Because it seems rather, well, frankly, un-Hillary-esque in terms of her actual leadership style. 

Perhaps getting back to that whole damned if you do, damned if you don’t issue referenced above. 

Maybe by boxing Hillary’s campaign away into an image conjuring a happy, safe place, like, say, Disneyland–even if just through language–the campaign is thinking that we’ll all be a little more comfortable with the idea of a Hillary remaining within some semblance of a contained, private, secret space.  Even a home. 

But, at what cost?  Will keeping Hillary tied to the concept of home lead her to the ultimate one, the White House? 

Because generally, do we expect that kind of thing of candidates?  That softening, humanizing, a return to the hearth to prove their validity to lead? 

Of male candidates it seems we typically ask the opposite, for military service, decisiveness, strength. 

2.  Which leads me to my second question:  When will women be able to stand alone as leaders, separate from their being a woman? To be seen for their own unique leadership styles, rather than as emblems of the typical perceived framework of women’s leadership?

We don’t discuss Barack or Bush within a framework of how their being men–and being advised primarily by men–influences their decision-making.

So with Hillary, we are then choosing not a leader among leaders, but between two options–women’s leadership and men’s.  More than likely, I think, a false choice. 

3.  Largely because I’m not sure that women’s leadership even exists.  Yes, women lead.  Yes, women can and should hold power.

But is there a monolithic mandate on women’s leadership and how it operates? 

We don’t discuss male leadership as an overarching theme of male leaders.  We view them as individual leaders. 

So, on that note, is it fair, effective or wise to ever consider "women’s leadership" as a concept? 

4.  I’m not sure, but I do know that one bothersome offshoot of this occurs in how Hillary is treated in the media, well documented by WIMN’s Voices in their post, "When Does Wife Trump Senator?" which documents how often the media refers to Hillary as the wife of the former president (and often, I might add, in light of needing his support.), and leaving off her title as "Senator" and, often, even her last name. 

Meaning that we’re more likely to perceive her first as a women, and secondly as a leader. 

5.  Which leads to the central question that surrounds Senator Clinton’s candidacy for me–and, I sense, for a lot of women: 

Do I, as a woman, as an advocate for women’s leadership, rights and equality, evaluate her based on her leadership alone, and compare her, genderless, just as I would any of the other candidates? 

Or do I evaluate her based on the fact that she’s a woman, and what her election would mean for women generally, and for women leaders? 

I ran across this statement, from a male blogger, commenting on the article:  "One upside of a Hillary presidency would be the totally unprecedented amount of women that would move into positions of real power. This can’t be discounted when considered the merits of Clinton’s campaign."

An undeniable truth. 

So, my quandary is clear–because I want Senator Clinton to be evaluated on her own merits.  As a leader among leaders, not as a woman among leaders, or as a chance we’re all taking that will reflect on every woman in this country, on every future bid for leadership or candidacy. 

I’d like for her to just be a candidate, standing in line with other candidates, equal. 

But at the same time, I know that’s ridiculous.  She is clearly a woman, a woman candidate, a woman leader.  Potentially the first at this level.  And as such, is evaluated that way. 

I’m left with the thought I always come back to, of sitting in villages in Africa, talking with young girls and women about the importance of role models.  Of writing a calendar showing women as parliamentarians, journalists, doctors, judges.

So that the girls would know that it was possible, that they could reach for more.  That it wasn’t bizarre, or weird, or strange for them to want these things.  To expect them.

That it was normal. 

And I think about my third grade teacher writing a note to my sister saying, "Maybe we’ll be able to vote for Lisa for president some day."  (I was a terribly precocious third grader.)

And how she got that note when I was old enough to know how unlikely that was, because we weren’t there yet, because that was something for the future, for way off.

Something to talk about in terms not of "when" or "who" but in terms of debating how many years it might take, when the country might be ready, when it wouldn’t be bizarre, or strange for me, as a girl, to aspire to that.  

And now, I think, much like it has already come to pass in other countries throughout the world (and, in recent news, India!), the future could really be now. 

When The Women’s Foundation writes a check from the Open Door Capacity Building Fund or gives a Leadership Award, it’s an investment in a nonprofit’s future and their potential to positively impact women, girls and our community as a whole.

So when two of this year’s five Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management finalists–and one of the winners–were Grantee Partners of The Women’s Foundation, we couldn’t help but think of this recognition as a deserved acknowledgement of the importance of their work and of investing in the capacity of local nonprofits.

The Women’s Foundation congratulates Tahirih Justice Center, winner of the 2007 Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management! Tahirih addresses the needs of immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence through direct legal service, advocacy, social and medical referrals and public education.

Tahirih was recognized for, among other things, their short and long-term strategic planning, use of market research and impact assessment, approach to staff workload and cultural sensitivity.

"There’s no question that Tahirih Justice Center’s programs and services are vital to our community," Carolee Summers-Sparks, Program Officer, said. "I’m proud that The Women’s Foundation has supported their work, and equally proud that we’ve invested in projects to build the strength of the organization."

The Women’s Foundation’s support of The Tahirih Justice Center began in 2002, when they received a Leadership Award, a V-Day Grant, and a Rapid Response Fund grant. In 2004, they were awarded their first of two Open Door grants.  In all, The Women’s Foundation has invested $40,000 in Tahirih and their work.

Activities supported by these grants include a three-day staff training and retreat aimed at reducing stress and building unity to prevent turnover, to a database for strategic donor engagement, complete with trainings for board and staff on fundraising strategies.

One of the trainings funded by The Women’s Foundation was specifically featured in Tahirih’s application and recognized by the award selection committee, Allyn Summa, Tahirih’s Director of Development and Communications, said.

"The Women’s Foundation has historically been one of the few organizations that many nonprofits in this area can turn to for capacity building grants," Summa continued. "We’ve relied upon The Women’s Foundation for that, and it’s vital. It’s those things that enable effective management, thoughtful planning and efficient use of time. That’s part of the reason we’ve beeen so grateful to The Women’s Foundation."

The Women’s Foundation also congratulates the other finalists, including Boat People SOS, one of this year’s four finalists for the Washington Post award, a Grantee Partner since 2001 when they received a Rapid Response Fund grant for $8,000.

Both of these organizations–along with every Grantee Partner–represents the value of The Women’s Foundation’s commitment to investing in "beyond the check" grantmaking, and to providing technical assistance and support for their operational goals as well as programmatic funding.

To learn more about how you can get involved in giving beyond the check, click here, and join us.

Photo by Michael Colella.

The DC Women’s Agenda (DCWA) is a local advocacy and policy coalition that began in the spring of 2003 and works to promote the advancement, equality, and well-being of women and girls in D.C.–and it is a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation. 

DCWA is a coalition of a diverse group of advocates, service providers, and individuals who work together to address issues of social and economic justice that women and girls face on a daily basis living in our community. The DCWA is co-chaired by the DC Employment Justice Center and Wider Opportunities for Women (also Grantee Partners of The Women’s Foundation!)

During monthly meetings of the DC Women’s Agenda about current events in the District affecting women and girls, the coalition determined that in 2007, as D.C. brought in a new Mayor and City Council, that it was an important time to build awareness of these issues among our new city leaders. 

Emerging from these discussions is a white paper, "Voices and Choices for D.C. Women and Girls: Recommendations to City Leaders 2007," which outlines for our city’s leaders and citizens the key issues and challenges facing D.C.’s women and girls. 

The paper gives concrete suggestions for what changes are needed and addresses topics such as economic security, housing, health and health education, criminal justice, safety, leadership and accountability and girls.

Each section provides information and statistics about the problem, and gives specific recommendations about what resources and programs need to be created and what must be improved upon that already exists in order for women and girls to thrive in the District of Columbia.

The paper puts all of the information at the fingertips of the politicians.

The white paper was distributed to the Mayor and all members of the D.C. City Council, as well as each member of the DC Commission on Women.  We also sent it to the two Congressmen who are in charge of the Congressional Committee that has oversight of the District (Chairman Henry Waxman and Ranking Member Tom Davis) and to DC’s Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, so that, if they want to, they can hold the Mayor and city leaders accountable on these issues.

The white paper was also distributed to a number of organizations that serve women in the District. It can also be accessed on TheWomensFoundation.org. 

Over the coming weeks on this blog, we’ll be going through each section of the white paper to discuss and highlight key elements and to illuminate what life would be like for women and girls in the District if the recommendations were to be acted upon. 

We hope to create awareness, as well as lively discussion and debate on the important facts outlined in the paper, and what action on the recommendations could mean for the women and girls of this city, as well as the city as a whole.  

Jessica Goshow is DC Employment Justice Center’s (DCEJC) legal and policy associate.  Being that EJC and Wider Opportunities for Women are the co-chairs of the DCWA, she was involved in the coordination, writing, and reviewing of the white paper.

The DC Women’s Agenda, DC Employment Justice Center and Wider Opportunities for Women are all Grantee Partners of The Women’s Foundation. 

A friend and I have a running list of people you need in your life, particularly as you edge towards "grown-up" living. 

Topping the list are a good mechanic and a good plumber, among a number of other skills we seem to be desperately lacking in. 

At last week’s graduation ceremony of the first class of the YWCA National Capital Area’s Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) program, it struck me how our natural tendency to assume that these roles would be filled by men are long, long outdated.

Because the 10 women who graduated–with aspirations including careers in plumbing, carpentry, painting, landscaping and sheet metal work–not only intend to shatter stereotypes of the types of work women can do, and are doing, but to change the very structures in which they do it.

They intend not only to weld metal, but to weld the very world that produces it.

After only 12 weeks, which, like with previous classes graduating women ready to take on nontraditional careers, hardly seems like enough to contain it all–or to produce this level of confidence, strength and, even a twinge of well-placed rebellion–the ceremony was marked with graduate’s indications that their intentions went well beyond their own economic security, to that of changing the world of work for all women.

"We have come a long way from just wanting to get a job, to wanting to make a difference in the industry," said one of the graduates before stating proudly that they planned to establish a union among women in the trades throughout our region. 

One can only imagine that this sense of confidence and comaraderie only comes from the same holistic approach to support that was evident throughout the First Female Construction Employment Class of Goodwill of Greater Washington and what I can only imagine was present in their Environmental Services Training Course. 

As evidence of this, the women discussed taking each lesson bit by bit–and refusing to move on until everyone got it.  They talked about keeping each other motivated–sometimes with a phone call harrassment plan–when getting up at the crack of dawn (sometimes as early as 3:30 a.m. to bike in from Virginia) and being on job sites in the dead of winter was almost too much to bear.  They talked of struggling through–and then gaining strength from–the mandatory kick-boxing and weight training courses that would be necessary to ensure that they could manage the heavy lifting of their new professions.

Including the mental heavy lifting that would be required.

Because, as one of the commencement speakers, Sarah Reynolds–a bus mechanic with Metro for more than 20 years–noted–even in 2007, "There are too few of us."  With part of her current responsibilities being to recruit young women into careers at WMATA, she said, "I’m not leaving Metro until I have more women behind me."

This is crucial, she explains, to handle some of the difficulties of being one of a few women in a very male-dominated world.  And the key, she says, is the support of other women.  "The negative things I dealt with, you will not have to deal with by yourselves anymore.  You will have other women with you," she promised, as she outlined a mentoring plan underway for the graduates with experienced professional women in the trades,

Joan Kuriansky, executive director of Wider Opportunities for Women, a partner of WAWIT, explained that this is precisely the point.  Construction is a billion dollar industry in this region, she said, and there is no reason that women–and their families–shouldn’t benefit from it. 

"This program," she said, "represents a breakthrough for many women not here today, because it is changing perceptions of what is women’s work.  One by one, the stereotypes about women, and what we can do, will be debunked!" 

And as these programs continue to demonstrate, changing these perceptions is always the beginning–from changing the women’s perceptions of what they can do personally, to changing their children’s perceptions of what women can do through their example, to changing society’s perceptions of women’s work. 

The graduates confirmed that, while a professional journey, it can’t be approached without taking into account the personal obstacles.  "If I can do it," said one graduate, "all these women can do it.  And we come from all different walks of life.  Not a Paris Hilton life.  A hard-knock life."

From hard knocks to laying hard wood, a path that started with learning skills has turned into a unified desire to transform the scope and scale of women’s work.   

"That’s the kind of stepping stone you represent," Kuriansky told the graduates. 

Words that couldn’t have been better selected, since this program is a perfect realization of one of the goals of our Stepping Stones initative–an early partner to WAWIT–to increase the economic security of low-income women in our region by providing access to high-growth, well-paying, nontraditional careers. 

With training programs like this throughout our region–many of them supported by The Women’s Foundation–it’s difficult not to get the sense that this is far more than shop talk, but rapidly evolving system change, which is what The Women’s Foundation, and our partners, are all about. 

About investing in women as a means of building stronger communities. 

With bright futures–and job opportunities already waiting for many–it’s easy to imagine this transformation unfolding.  In fact, with the graduates sometimes spontaneously bursting into Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, it’s harder to imagine that it won’t. 

From victories from the personal to the professional, from skills to scaffolds of an unlimited height.

As Kuriansky said, "The elevator, I don’t think it’s ever coming down."

If it does, it will only be on occasion, but only for these women to head back down to pick up those they’ll carry up to the top, just as they have been, and will be, supported by those women, like Reynolds, who came before. 

As one of the graduates said, "We are the blueprint and the foundation of it all.  It began with us, and we have the responsibility to keep this legacy going, even after today."

Echoed by another graduate, who said, "It started with us, and it won’t finish with us." 

Indeed it won’t.  The next class starts on Monday.  

For more information on The Women’s Foundation’s Stepping Stones, which supports programs like this throughout the Washington metropolitan region, click here. 

To learn more about WAWIT, and how to get involved, visit YWCANCA.org.  WAWIT is a collaboration among the YWCA National Capital Area, Wider Opportunities for Women (also a Stepping Stones Grantee Partner) and the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Council of the AFL-CIO.

To learn more about similar training programs for women breaking barriers, visit our blog to learn more about Goodwill of Greater Washington’s female construction and environmental services programs.

Then, join us in building a better Washington region by investing in and expanding strategies and programs like these.  Join in the power of giving together.