A Letter from Our CEO
There are times when I am lost for words. When I am so stunned by the nastiness, audacity, and evilness that exists in this world, that all I can do is go within. That’s the introvert in me. However, when I pause to draw inward, something powerful arises―I honor and tap into my gifts. The ones that allow me to keep moving forward to effect change. That allow me to continue to center love and humanity.
If we are to change what is happening in this country—in this world—we must all look within. When you look within, are you part of the solution or part of the problem? There isn’t a place in the middle. You must be one or the other. It isn’t enough to just not perpetuate the problem, you must actively work toward a solution. It is the collective acts (no matter how small) of each of us that will move us towards a better future.
Because I have no other words, I would like to leave you with the words of Audre Lorde.
“I have found that battling despair does not mean closing my eyes to the enormity of the tasks of effecting change, nor ignoring the strength and the barbarity of the forces aligned against us. It means teaching, surviving, and fighting with the most important resource I have, myself, and taking joy in that battle. It means, for me, recognizing the enemy outside and the enemy within, and knowing that my work is part of our power, and knowing that this work did not begin with my birth, nor will it end with my death. And it means knowing that within this continuum, my life and my love and my work has particular power and meaning relative to others.”
Be well, be safe, and be a part of the solution.
In solidarity,
Cherita Ellens
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Thank you for making The Working Lunch-Hybrid Edition Great!
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On behalf of the entire Women Employed team, thank you to all who supported and celebrated with us at The Working Lunch–Hybrid Edition. Our first-ever hybrid event had over 600 people join us in-person and online, and left us all feeling inspired and hopeful for what's to come. Our dynamic lineup―keynote speaker and honoree Dr. Ngozi Ezike, as well as honorees Lydia Bueschel and Katya Nuques―left us feeling inspired, excited, and motivated to continue pursuing equity for all. All of these leaders have dedicated their lives to championing economic equity and are unwavering in their commitment to ensuring fundamental and systemic change at all levels.
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Thank you to our sponsors, listed at the end of this newsletter, for their generous support of this year’s luncheon, which fuels our work to help women EMERGE from the "shecession" stronger than before.
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Sign up for the Women's Entrepreneurship Hub |
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At The Working Lunch–Hybrid Edition, we previewed our Women’s Entrepreneurship (WE) Hub. Launching in the summer of 2022, the WE Hub will bring together a curated collection of resources from partners across Illinois to empower women at all stages of business development. The WE Hub will provide them with options, resources, and tools from trusted partners that put them on a path to achieve their vision of success. Participants of the WE Hub will receive guidance to help them plan their next moves and a customized toolkit of existing resources built to meet their specific needs. The WE Hub is being created for women by women with a particular intent to center Black and Latina/x women. It intends to be a community and connective tissue between organizations, service providers, resources, and the women seeking all those things.
To sign up for updates about the WE Hub, visit wehub.org.
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URGENT: Urge President Biden to Cancel
Student Debt
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The United States is in a student debt crisis: over 45 million people have student loan debt, totaling over $1.9 trillion, keeping borrowers from being able to invest in their future. The average Black student loan borrower takes on nearly 50% more debt for a bachelor’s degree than their white peers. With women of color owing 22% more student loan debt than white women. Most debt is held by borrowers with $0 or negative household wealth and debt is growing fastest in the lowest income neighborhoods.
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Victory! The Illinois proposal for an Ability to Benefit process was approved by the U.S. Department of Education |
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Next step will be focusing on implementation.
Bridge programs are specialized courses that help students build the basic reading, language, and math skills they need to earn a High School Equivalency, while also preparing them for their chosen career. One major obstacle facing individual bridge students, and a barrier to increasing the scale of sector-based bridges, is a lack of resources. Traditionally, bridge students still working to earn their High School Equivalency (or GED) have not been able to access federal financial aid to pay for the career training and technical/vocational education they need to embark on careers that earn a living wage.
Ability to Benefit is a federal policy that allows bridge students to access financial aid before they earn their HSE/GED. By doing so, they can take advantage of dual enrollment in bridge programs and training programs. Women Employed helped develop a proposal for an Illinois process for Ability to Benefit, which was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Education! Prior to Illinois’s approval, only Wisconsin and Washington State had approved Ability to Benefit state-defined processes. Women Employed will now work on implementation so that more students qualify for financial aid and can pursue career and technical training.
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Meet Women Employed's New Staff |
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The Women Employed team has grown quite a bit over the last year. In the last twelve months we've welcomed a total of NINE new staff members! Each new team member may bring their own set of fresh ideas, creativity, and expertise, but one thing that they all have in common is their passion for our mission.
Please join us in formally welcoming them!
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Ibie Hart - Associate Director of Business Development
Christina Green - ASPIRE Senior Program Manager
Camille Massie - Accounting and Administrative Assistant
Mena Enuenwosu - Policy and Organizational Impact Assistant
Jessica Swim - Advancement Administrative Assistant
Racquel Fullman - Marketing & Engagement Coordinator
Starr De Los Santos - Senior Coalition Manager
Tara Driver - Senior Career Pathways Manager
Leticia Trujillo - Part-Time Graphic Designer
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June 22: Advocacy Council Meeting
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The Atlanta Journal Constitution
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Thank You to The Working Lunch Sponsors
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Thank You to The Working Lunch Raffle Sponsors
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Thank You to The Working Lunch Technology Sponsor
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