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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 5 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 4th 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 2010.
  • Attracting an estimated $15,000 worth of in-kind contributions of everything from art supplies to volunteer-time in 2009.
  • 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 2009.
  • 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 KEY STAFF

Patricia Foster, Executive Director, comes to us with over 22 years' experience as a resident and a community empowerment advocate in East Palo Alto. Before founding Girls Two Women late last year, Pat led a profound revitalization of the Girls' Club of the Mid-Peninsula; developed other after-school programs for at-risk 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 in recent years from One East Palo Alto, the Soroptimists, Santa Clara University School of Law, and The Links, Incorporated. 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.

Joanna León, Site Coordinator, a lifelong resident of East Palo Alto brings the first hand knowledge of growing up in the community we serve. Ms. León, a Mexican-American, Spanish-English bilingual, is a strong advocate for appreciating the values and strengths in the community, and believes in supporting young women and their families in preparing for a successful future academically and beyond. Ms. León is a 2009 graduate from Stanford University with a B.A. in Sociology and a focus in Stratification and Inequality. She is the 2005 recipient of the National Hispanic Heritage Award in Journalism. Her photography, writing, and layout design skills are ones that she uses not only for creating Girls To Women communication materials, but also skills that she hopes to pass on to participants through program workshops.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rachel Mandell Basile - Associate Scientist 1, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Department of Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics

Patricia Foster - Founder-Executive Director, Girls To Women; Founder, St. Francis of Assisi Boys' Club; former Mayor and City Councilmember of East Palo Alto.

Meda Okelo - Former Community Services Director, East Palo Alto.

Henry Organ - Former Development Officer, Stanford University.

Marva Monje - Assistant General Manager, Max's Opera Restaurant, Palo Alto; volunteer, Peninsula Interfaith Action.

Katherine Pough - Branch Manager, East Palo Alto Office, California Bank & Trust.

Donielle A. Prince - Education & Youth Development Research Consultant.

Keisha Woods - Program Director, EPA CAN DO; also serves on Board of Directors for One East Palo Alto