April 22, 2008 - Posted by Michelle Brown
Our agency is pleased to report that a new self-facilitated group for women 50+ will begin meeting on Tuesday, June 10th from 12:00-1:30. This group is the brainchild of Cheri Reagle, community member and volunteer. Shares Reagle, “I think that there is a need for a casual “coffee shop” space for women who are 50 and older to meet and connect with others.” Potential topics of discussion include: career transitions, dealing with grown children, health issues, continuing education, aging parents, and more. Reagle envisions potential spin off programs as well such as book groups, mentor programs, and guest speakers. Women will gather at The Women’s Initiative on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. To learn more about this particular group, please contact Cheri Reagle, 434.296.7606.
If you are interested in coordinating a self-facilitated group of your own, please contact us.
April 22, 2008 - Posted by Michelle Brown
The Women’s Initiative proudly shares the following details about our community outreach programs. This list expands monthly. Check back for updates & future highlights!
Wellness Consultations: The Women’s Initiative counselors are bringing weekly Wellness Consultations to patients at The Free Clinic. Patients can schedule a free fifty minute session to explore lifestyle strategies they can employ to improve their health and well being. Recent quotes from clients: “Probably the best counseling experience I’ve ever had.” And “You take the time to understand what is going on in all aspects of my life.”
CYFS Parenting Mobile: The Women’s Initiative is currently preparing stress management kits for distribution to a minimum of 160 low-income families in Westhaven, Mallside, Parks Edge and Southwood through the CYFS Parenting Mobile. This project will give mothers and children concrete tools to identify, address, and overcome the daily stressors that can often lead to verbal, emotional and even physical abuse. Eventual program expansion will allow us to reach staff, educators and students in Charlottesville City and Albemarle County Schools.
Life Empowerment Course for CHIP Moms (12 weeks: 2 – six week sessions): This series, created for low-income women served by Virginia’s Comprehensive Health Investment Project, is designed to motivate CHIP moms to make positive changes in their well-being through a series of research based stress management activities. Childcare, transportation and food are being provided by CHIP. Ninety-minute sessions will be facilitated over 12 weeks for 16 moms. This model is being designed for future replication.
Women Connect: Many women live alone, away from the support of friends and family. Some are isolated because they don’t have adequate transportation, some are ill or physically disabled, and some are homebound as a result of care-giving responsibilities. Social isolation has been proven to negatively affect mental and physical health. This program, a partnership with The Free Clinic, will bring compassionate, trained listeners to 10 women through weekly telephone calls for one year. We hope to expand this project in subsequent years to include outreach and partnerships with other community providers.
To find out how you can support these exciting projects, contact us.
April 11, 2008 - Posted by Michelle Brown
March 12, 2008 - Posted by Michelle Brown
The Women’s Initiative is delighted to announce its recent $5,000 grant from the Community Endowment Fund of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.
CACF’s competitive grant cycle takes place twice annually. All told, the CACF Governing Board approved requests totaling $141,300 for 24 local agencies! Categories of support include human services, education, the arts and humanities, the environment, and healthcare.
Shares John Redick, CACF President, “The Foundation is pleased to provide a grant from the Community Endowment to support this new endeavor of bringing counseling services to women.”
Since August 2007, The Women’s Initiative has impacted the lives of 586 individuals. This includes participants in our craft relaxation group, stress management workshops, quarterly luncheons, individual counseling/wellness consultations, miscellaneous group gatherings and special individual offerings.
The majority of women served through our individual counseling services are low income. Women range in age from 19-60 and more than 80% of these women have either no insurance or are on Medicaid. In 2008, we plan to reach 1000 women through our many programs.
We thank the foundation for its support, and we encourage you to visit www.cacfonline.org to learn more about CACF’s important work in the community.
1007 East High Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-872-0047
434-872-0049 fax
