Inspire Atlanta 2023 The Atlanta Women's Foundation
Shameka Fahie
I am raising money in support of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation mission of supporting and uplifting women and girls in the community.
Shameka Fahie
I am raising money in support of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation mission of supporting and uplifting women and girls in the community.
Success isn't just about what you accomplish in life, it's what you inspire others to do!
As an Inspire Atlanta participant, I am excited to join the fundraising efforts of my 2023 cohort to make a difference in the lives of women and girls in our community. There are hundreds of thousands of women and girls living in Atlanta – nearly a quarter of them are living below the poverty line. As the only public foundation in the state of Georgia solely dedicated to women and girls, The Atlanta Women’s Foundation (AWF) is uniquely positioned to address the barriers that women and girls in poverty face – barriers like access to life skills, education, workforce opportunities, and mental and physical wellbeing.
I am fundraising on behalf of the AWF to fulfill its mission to be a catalyst for change in the lives of women and girls. The largest demographic living in poverty in Atlanta are Females 25 – 34, followed by Females 18 – 24 and that is why I chose to make an impact right now – right here in my community. AWF has made amazing strides for women over the past several years, providing access to workforce development, higher education, and asset building for tens of thousands of women living in poverty.
While the work to change women’s lives continues, AWF is making a 5-year commitment to girls living in poverty in our Metro Atlanta community. AWF goal is to grant $500,000 annually in June to at least 10 girl-serving organizations with the launch of a new grant program, All Girls Forward. That is a total of $2.5 million over the next five years invested in local girls’ education and wellbeing. Afterschool programs, college prep, health and wellness activities, pregnancy prevention programs and more will be funded through this grant.
You can join me in expanding the reach in changing lives for the better. With your help, together we can make a difference. Every dollar makes an impact and here are a few examples:
- $5,000 – Can provides college prep classes, workshops, and counselling for 20 high school aged girls. Provides paid on the job training for women looking to create policy changes.
- $2,500 – Can provide monthly trainings, support groups and free childcare for teen moms; Can also provide in-depth case management, financial literacy and money management coaching for woman looking to build assets for her family.
- $1,000 – Can provide a comprehensive pregnancy prevention programming for teen girls or support a low-income woman in a first-time homeownership readiness program.
- $500 – Can fund hands-on S.T.E.A.M. (Science. Technology. Engineering. Arts. Mathematics) education opportunity for 25 girls.
- $250 – Can provide one week of quality childcare for a single mom in need of a safe space for her child; can also provide college prep classes, workshops and counseling for a high-school girl.
- $175 – can fund health and wellness activities and provide financial or adult literacy classes.
- $100 – Can provide a mental and behavioral health consultation for a woman or girl to determine if additional resources or treatment is needed.
- $75 – Can provides interview or workplace attire for a woman looking to get back to work.
- $50 – Can provide a girl living in poverty a backpack full of supplies.
- $25 – Can provide A work week of MARTA fare.
I am also seeking Corporate Sponsorship for the Inspire Atlanta Program starting at $1,500.
All donations are tax deductible. To double your donation, check to see if your employer has a corporate match giving program. Upload your donation receipt and your company will match your donation.
With my $300 donation to start, I am honored to be a part of raising funds for the inaugural year of All Girls Forward and to help continue AWF’s work with women – I hope you’ll join me!
We Got Evicted!
On Saturday, February 11th, my Atlanta Inspire class participated in a poverty simulation. The purpose of the simulation is to promote poverty awareness. Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. But unless you’ve experienced poverty, it’s difficult to truly understand. Participants were group into various family dynamics and given various situations to role-play a month in poverty and experience low-income families’ lives.
During simulation decision had to be made quickly, there may not have been enough money, foods, clothing; various situations occurred unexpected such as ill parents, layoffs, theft, etc.; family may have had multiple children, children with learning disabilities, two parent household, one parent household, or grandparent household. Unfortunately, based on the resources and decision that my family and I made, we were evicted. Many families in the Metro Atlanta Area have experienced eviction and is currently facing eviction.
To increase understanding, after the simulation, all the participants participated in a group discussion to unpack what we learn and brainstorm how we as a class can bring about change.
Together, we can be a voice to end poverty in our families, friends and local community. Did you know that the largest demographic living in poverty in Atlanta are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 – 24. Women make up the majority of low-wage workers. Girls are still behind educationally and socially due to the pandemic and are experiencing rising mental health issues.