Women and Work (W&W) began as a straightforward job-skills training program in 1998 with the intent of providing entry-level employment for displaced homemakers; over time, Women and Work has evolved into a community that fully engages in the lives of our participants and graduates to ensure their social welfare. Our participants are the most underserved population in New York City; they are compr
ised of survivors of domestic and family violence, single mothers, immigrants, displaced homemakers, and downsized or low-wage workers. The goal of our partnership is to empower women with an infrastructure of skills capable of supporting long-term, intergenerational change and to move them from their present marginalized status to one of social inclusion. In 2010, Women and Work was re-envisioned and a community outreach component, Women Partnering for Change (WPFC) became part of the W&W infrastructure, which provided a vehicle for the program’s public education presentations, as well as its role as a community partner advocating for social justice on behalf of marginalized women. Since its inception in 1998 Women and Work has never been on a hiatus and has always remained free to women-in-need; the program’s midtown Manhattan location makes it easily accessible by public transportation for women across New York City’s five boroughs. To date, W&W has successfully guided almost 2,000 women and families out of poverty and into economic stability. By always listening to the voices of the women we serve, we are able to understand and address their unmet needs. One of the program’s greatest accomplishments is graduating women who are empowered to advocate on their own behalf. Women and Work contributes to systemic change by investing in individuals and helping them to stabilize their lives ensuring a better future for children, families, and their communities.
