To the Editor:
When was the last time when you invested in someone’s dream?
Perhaps you are one of the 5,872 donors who contributed to Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s Giving Day, on April 17. If so, you have made dreams possible for thousands of children, families in need and low-income micro-entrepreneur women in our community.
If not, and you’re only now learning about Spring2ACTion, it’s not too late to learn about the needs of our community and the passionate nonprofits that create social change.
Every once in a while we have an opportunity, as a community to come together, to transform everything; to make dreams happen, to give a little more and to make a lasting impact.
Spring2ACTion, April 17, was just that kind of day for Alexandria.
Led and organized by the dedicated team at ACT for Alexandria the 24-hour online philanthropy day raised $659,591 from 5,872 donors for 97 local nonprofits.
For Empowered Women International (EWI) an Alexandria-based nonprofit that creates jobs and economic opportunity for immigrant and low-income women in our community through entrepreneurship training, mentoring and market access, Spring2ACTion was powerful.
With everyone’s generosity, EWI raised $30,497 and won an additional $2,850 in prizes from ACT for Alexandria.
The funding will directly support 17 entrepreneurship scholarships for immigrant and low-income women who dare to dream big, create value through their work, and make a difference through their passion and dedication.
The scholarship in the Entrepreneur Training for Success, EWI’s three month flagship program includes 60 hours of business start-up training, 30 hours of mentoring, coaching and support services, networking opportunities, and access to micro-loans of up to $5,000 per start-up.
Each scholarship will not only empower a woman, her children and her family, but our community as a whole. Each scholarship will lead to a new start-up in our community that might just be the next bakery in your neighborhood, a local artist working with children in after-school educational programs, or a yoga studio for the community.
Thank you Alexandria and ACT for Alexandria for everything you did to making Spring2ACTion a day to remember, celebrate and make change happen.
We did it together. We can do it again.
Marga C. Fripp
Founder and executive director, Empowered Women International