登录查看更多内容

Only 33 days left in 2023 to Support Athena's Warehouse- Giving Tuesday Nov. 28. 2023

Athena's Warehouse Inc

Uplifting youth in Atlanta, GA through scholarship, mentorship, & educational workshops.

发布日期: 2023年11月28日

Dear Community Warrior,

?Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday and my heart is filled with gratitude. Gratitude for our founder’s 11 years of building this organization from the ground up. Gratitude for each and every person who cleaned out their closets so that I could have a prom dress my senior year. Yet, I’ve received so much more than just a dress from Athena’s Warehouse, I’ve also found sisterhood. I’ve found it in the friendships I deepened with Iris & Haja (2 of my high school besties who rolled their eyes with me at the cheesy “Be Awesome, Be Aware” workshops in 2012,? I found sisterhood in mentoring and being mentored by Bibi & Noemi (1 grade below- received the scholarship from AW), I found sisterhood in forming my board of directors (a pack of fierce she-wolves indeed), and every day I’m constantly finding sisterhood in the little glistening hope filled eyes of the young women we serve.?

?I invite you to look back with me on this organization’s 14 years of service. I’ll direct your attention to my reflection on my experiences with the workshops that I wrote at 18 years old:

?"The self-awareness, self defense, and violence awareness workshop was very informational. I was so surprised to find that so many women were abused so violently all over the United States, in just a year. It was saddening and eye opening. I learned how to better protect myself and to identify when I'm in a dangerous situation. A friend's mother was in an abusive situation and because of the workshop we were able to make appropriate changes in her life. From this workshop I learned the importance of protecting the body and the mind. Protecting my mind by never feeling I deserve someone treating me badly and protecting my body by being aware of warning signs."

"The Athena's Warehouse workshops have shown me that empowerment comes from within. At the end of the day there is no one to blame and nothing negative to dwell on because I am responsible for making decisions that I can be proud of. I have learned that it is necessary to stand together as women and to support each other because sometimes it's hard for us to look in the mirror and see what our sisters see in us. To be a young woman is a privilege and a great responsibility. Because of these workshops I can be more confident in myself, and empower everyone around me because I know together we are stronger than we ever imagined we could be.”

?For 14 years we have shown youth that they must ignite the fire burning brightly within them by sharpening their mind, body, and spirit in order to achieve their goals to become their own vision of success. Within everyone is a glimmer of something greater than just themselves and we work to help young women in particular recognize this glimmer within. Because when women are healed our entire community is healed for generations and generations. Women are the start and end of every part of the human life cycle yet are still treated globally as second class citizens.

We are one of the few organization’s globally who has turned the work over to the community it serves. We are one of the few organizations who survived the financial crisis of the Covid-19 Pandemic & shutdowns. We are the one of the few organizations still fighting for women to have whatever they need to free.

Stand with girls this Giving Tuesday: https://bit.ly/23awgiving

We are looking for warriors who will commit to a monthly gift of any amount. With 14 people supporting us with $14/month for a year we can raise $2,352. With 140 people supporting at $14/month we can raise $23,520 annually! No matter the level of support just know that local businesses are matching! Join the live event on 6pm on LinkedIn to see who’s matching your gift today!

Thank you so much.

In solidarity,

Dia Parker