At Women of Colors, we celebrate the strength of diversity. The forum Time to Have a Conversation helps people resist systematic racism and learn more about it by listening to experts and those who have experienced it. Our speakers send a message of working together between and among races, for we are more similar than different.
At Women of Colors, we develop relationships to overcome barriers. WOC has led initiatives that serve at-risk youth ages 6–18 with after-school programming. These students have worked with mentors, learned coping skills, and gotten involved in community-building activities. If we want to reach children and teens, we need to first develop positive relationships with them.
At Women of Colors, we foster community through storytelling. The forum How I Overcame encourages an open dialogue among women of colors who are passionate about overcoming challenges as a community. Our panelists help others by telling stories of what and how they overcame.
At Women of Colors, we teach skills for wellness and a healthy, happy lifestyle. From December 2019 to February 2020, we administered the Prime for Life program to youth in juvenile detention, measuring their understanding of prevention strategies before and after completing the training. Our participants saw an increase in average test score from 57% to 67%.
At Women of Colors, we give kids and teens a voice. The event Your Voice Your Choice involves young people as not only beneficiaries but ambassadors of WOC’s mission to give back to the Saginaw community. Our youth consortium plans fun, productive workshops for other middle and high school students.
At Women of Colors, we help students develop skills and confidence. WOC has offered an after-school program called Students and Future Technology (SaFT). Students from second to twelfth grade learn about robotics and computer programming, work on hands-on projects, and collaborate with partners or small groups.
At Women of Colors, we build a better community. Why does Women of Colors sponsor a program called I’m Still a Man? WOC started the men’s and women’s forums to reach parents. Our volunteers are passionate about promoting safe places for transparent dialogue within and among families.
At Women of Colors, we acknowledge that it takes community to make a difference. We want all youth in the Saginaw community to have a safe and warm winter. Thanks to the help of our donors and volunteers, WOC has made the holidays happier for hundreds of children and families through our annual Warm a Child for Winter event. Learn more about the coat giveaway here: womenofcolors.org/warm-a-child-for-winter
At Women of Colors, we are here for our community. Evelyn McGovern, WOC’s president and cofounder, views community as a key value. “Women of Colors is a community organization,” she says. “We are here for the community. We can’t do what we are doing unless we have collaboration with agencies, businesses, churches, and schools.”