In This Issue

  1. Coming Together as a Community
  2. What She's Made Of 2022: Last Call for Tickets
  3. mPower Graduates Walk the Stage
  4. Advocacy: A Day Without Child Care
  5. Thank you to Our What She's Made Of Sponsors
Coming Together as a Community
The WNY Women’s Foundation stands in solidarity with our sisters of Buffalo and the entire community, and echos calls for peace and justice in the wake of the abhorrent violence over the weekend. Many community members impacted on an unimaginable scale by this terrible tragedy are those we work closest with. We must, and will, be there for them.

We are working with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, The Resource Council of WNY, Harvest House, and other community organizations to support where the community dictates need. We continue to support Crisis Services and encourage those who may be in need of mental health and trauma counseling to refer to information recently provided by Erie County.

Free food for community members will be available through the Resource Center at 347 East Ferry in Buffalo from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until at least Friday, May 27.

While the immediate needs of the community will continue to be addressed in coming weeks, we must also look to the long-term recovery and commit to efforts to create space for grief and healing.

This week and the weeks ahead are going to be hard for our community. We will provide assistance when asked by community leaders. We will amplify the messages and voices of our Black community. We will give each other space and support. And, we will continue our work and our fundraising so that we can provide more opportunities for women in Western New York.
What She's Made of 2022: Last Call For Tickets
Ticket sales for What She’s Made Of 2022 will close tonight at 12 a.m. Join us at Highmark Stadium on May 23 at 5 p.m. as we recognize Women In Sports. An open-air cocktail reception featuring exquisite hors d'oeuvres will be followed by an engaging presentation in the breathtaking M&T Club.

This event will present an important opportunity for community-minded individuals to come together, and support and uplift the women in our community – especially our sisters residing on Buffalo's East Side.

Maddy Glab, multi-media journalist for the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres will emcee the event. WKBW-TV anchors Ashley Rowe & Taylor Epps will moderate a panel of inspiring women leaders in sports, including:

Hayley Scamurra, Olympic silver-medalist, National Women’s Hockey League player and Buffalo native

Cecelie Owens, founder of the nationally recognized G.I.R.L.S. Sports Foundation, Inc. and first Black female inductee to the Buffalo State College Athletic Hall of Fame

Amy Latimer, president, TD Garden (home of the Boston Bruins), one of the most active, highly regarded and successful sports and entertainment venues in North America

Visit our What She's Made Of webpage for more on each of our speakers and to check out some inspiring videos.

Enjoy delicious cuisine, courtesy of Delaware North, spectacular stadium views, and great conversation! Purchase your ticket today for this incredible event.
2022 mPower Graduates
We’re incredibly proud to have nearly 50 participants in our mPower: From Education to Employment program graduate from Jamestown Community College (JCC) and SUNY Erie Community College last week. Some of our graduates will continue their education and others will move on to family-sustaining jobs.

We held our first mPower pinning ceremonies at both of these celebrations, with several of our board members participating. The presence of many graduates' children made the pinning truly special. Thank you to Helen Cappuccino for commissioning the pins to add this special empowerment message to graduation.

The WNY Women’s Foundation’s newly-named mPower program (formerly MOMs: From Education to Employment) works by eliminating barriers and providing targeted support for women pursuing education at the community college or workforce training level. Watch for our June e-newsletter for some exciting announcements about our mPower model.
Advocacy: A Day Without Child Care
The WNY Women’s Foundation and WNY Child Care Action Team hosted a virtual press conference in advance of the local march and rally for "A Day Without Child Care" on May 9.

This national day of action demonstrates the impact of the loss of child care for working parents. While nationally, some child care providers closed their doors, WNY providers instead chose to hold a march and rally at the Buffalo History Museum to stand in solidarity.

We secured excellent media coverage for both the press conference and rally from all four local TV stations. Below are some highlights:
 


What She's Made Of 2022 Premium Sponsors
We would like to recognize and thank our presenting sponsor, M&T Bank, as well as our generous "MVP," "Half-Time," Media, and Event sponsors. Your support will help us continue to create opportunities for women in our community to learn, earn, and lead.
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The WNY Women's Foundation is committed to creating opportunities for women to earn, learn, and lead.

GIVE. EMPOWER. REPEAT.
WNY Women's Foundation | 716-217-9056 | WNYWomensFoundation.org