It’s the last Feel Good Friday of 2021 and time to reflect on the new year ahead. What a great opportunity to talk about Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
Founded in 1992 by sisters Pat Petznick and Beverly Stewart and based in Phoenix, Arizona, the mission of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation is “to provide education, resources and support for women to positively transform their lives and strengthen our community.”
Over 500,000 women in Arizona are living in poverty. The programs of Fresh Start are open to women 18 and up, and meant to fill gaps in the services already offered. Topics of classes and workshop range from life skills to career development. Examples of support services include access to legal professionals who help with family law issues, and mentors who work with clients one-on-one to set goals and the steps needed to achieve them. Career resources include small business startup training as well as computer literacy classes. If you’re not sure where to start, there is a team of social workers who can help you.
Success stories include a woman who worked with a mentor until she reached her goal of opening a bakery, and another who left an abusive marriage and now publicly speaks on the topic of domestic violence. You can read more stories of women who transformed their lives at this link.
If you’d like to support Fresh Start Women’s Foundation to help women build their self-confidence and get a fresh start, there are several ways to do so. Arizona locals can volunteer or attend next year’s Fresh Start Gala. The rest of us can make a donation and share the work of Fresh Start on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @FreshStartWomen and Instagram @freshstartwomen.
Here’s to a happy new year and all of our fresh starts!