Dedicated to supporting girls as they design their futures for successful womanhood
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Although we are a young group, having opened our doors in early January of 2007, we hit the ground running and have had an active, service-oriented 10 years (see programs page for more info on our services). We're serving 60 school-aged girls and their families a year thus far; 90% are below poverty or low-income. Cultural diversity includes 60% Latinas, 30% African-Americans and 10% Pacific Islanders. All reside and/or have parents working in Southern San Mateo County's independent township of East Palo Alto.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
OUR FOUNDER
Patricia Foster, Executive Director
The founder of Girls to Women comes to us with over 35 years of experience as a resident and a community empowerment advocate in East Palo Alto. Before founding Girls to Women, Pat developed other after-school programs for underserved youth; counseled juvenile offenders; connected service agencies with volunteers, taught basic English and math skills to low-income adults from immigrant and disadvantaged backgrounds; and facilitated community development and economic empowerment strategies. Pat has won several awards for her work among East Palo Alto's youth. As a woman of color and an immigrant herself, Ms. Foster's familiarity with the vulnerabilities and strengths characterizing families among marginalized constituencies goes beyond the professional level to the personal. Patricia Foster was named the 2016 Woman of the Year, for the 24th Assembly District of California.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Open, President
Meda Okelo, Secretary – Former Community Services Director, East Palo Alto
Lorena Mendez-Quezada, Treasurer – Vice President/CRA Investment Manager, Wells Fargo Community Lending & Investment.
Patricia Foster – Founder-Executive Director, Girls To Women; Founder, St. Francis of Assisi Boys' Club; former Mayor and City Council member of East Palo Alto.
Rachel Mandell Basile – Associate Scientist 1, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Department of Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics.
Henry Organ – Former Development Officer, Stanford University.
Although we are a young group, having opened our doors in early January of 2007, we hit the ground running and have had an active, service-oriented 10 years (see programs page for more info on our services). We're serving 60 school-aged girls and their families a year thus far; 90% are below poverty or low-income. Cultural diversity includes 60% Latinas, 30% African-Americans and 10% Pacific Islanders. All reside and/or have parents working in Southern San Mateo County's independent township of East Palo Alto.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
- Delivering a consistent after-school program every non-holiday weekday afternoon since our inception. Average attendance has exceeded 3 times/week/girl, over an average term of more than 10 months/girl.
- Completing a 8th dynamic and popular 6-week summer session serving 2/3rds of our academic year participants but with a large influx (about 1/3rd) of new girls & families. We had close to 100% full attendance during Summer 2015.
- Attracting an estimated $15,000 worth of in-kind contributions of everything from art supplies to volunteer time in 2014.
- Partnering with 12 other community agencies, service groups, and businesses to deliver everything from academic support to arts activities to field trips.
- Raising $70,000 in grants revenue and nearly $60,000 in individual donor contributions in 2014.
- Launching a Community Tutoring and Mentoring Pilot Project, where dozens of motivated girls from the several local high schools serving East Palo Alto fulfill their community service education requirement by supporting our elementary and middle-school girls in their academic & social development.
- Building leadership skills in girls 11-16 by: involving them in support for younger girls; having them help administer the organization; and by soliciting their feedback in program development.
- Establishing an ongoing gardening, nutrition, and environmental education program.
OUR FOUNDER
Patricia Foster, Executive Director
The founder of Girls to Women comes to us with over 35 years of experience as a resident and a community empowerment advocate in East Palo Alto. Before founding Girls to Women, Pat developed other after-school programs for underserved youth; counseled juvenile offenders; connected service agencies with volunteers, taught basic English and math skills to low-income adults from immigrant and disadvantaged backgrounds; and facilitated community development and economic empowerment strategies. Pat has won several awards for her work among East Palo Alto's youth. As a woman of color and an immigrant herself, Ms. Foster's familiarity with the vulnerabilities and strengths characterizing families among marginalized constituencies goes beyond the professional level to the personal. Patricia Foster was named the 2016 Woman of the Year, for the 24th Assembly District of California.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Open, President
Meda Okelo, Secretary – Former Community Services Director, East Palo Alto
Lorena Mendez-Quezada, Treasurer – Vice President/CRA Investment Manager, Wells Fargo Community Lending & Investment.
Patricia Foster – Founder-Executive Director, Girls To Women; Founder, St. Francis of Assisi Boys' Club; former Mayor and City Council member of East Palo Alto.
Rachel Mandell Basile – Associate Scientist 1, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Department of Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics.
Henry Organ – Former Development Officer, Stanford University.
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"I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them" – Michelle Obama
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