ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

AWF funding supports the Community Justice Fellowship Program (CJFP) and its policy advocacy campaigns, which engage directly impacted BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) women. Funding will also help 9to5 expand its work in metro Atlanta and offer several CJFP cohort opportunities in Fulton, Dekalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton counties. The program provides a 6-month structure, stipend-supported between $17-20/hr., and an on-the-job organizer training program for directly affected women leaders.

AWF funding supports the My Money. My Future. (MMMF) and Vision. Goals. Action (VGA) programs. The MMMF program prepares women for homeownership through classes on saving, budgeting credit, and wealth building. Participants can also access one-on-one financial coaching with Atlanta Habitat’s on-staff financial coach and volunteers with finance and banking backgrounds. VGA encourages homeowners and their families to set and achieve personal and professional goals after becoming homeowners. Participants attend classes on public speaking, business plan writing, and scholarship boot camp. They are encouraged with guidelines on utilizing education and entrepreneurship opportunities to grow in their careers.

AWF funding supports low-income mothers by providing child-care subsidies, allowing them to pursue and complete a four-year degree that promises career readiness. Through Clayton State’s established administrative relationship with Quality Care for Children, payments will be made directly to the selected Quality Rated Child Care facility. Quality Care for Children provides free referral services for Quality Rated Child Care and will also handle administrative management of payments to the care providers. Clayton State University will be responsible for recruiting participants, monitoring adherence to program requirements, and collecting and analyzing outcome data.

AWF funding supports The Mildred Dowdley Gift of H.O.P.E program. The program is designed to work intimately with participants, providing a formalized and catalytic plan to help fulfill school completion goals, financial literacy, independence, and overall economic mobility, ultimately leading to a better quality of life and breaking cycles of economic vulnerability. Program participants build knowledge and become experts in their disciplines while nurturing other skills such as building relationships, public speaking, and gaining mentors who have experience in their respective fields. This includes access to childcare, financial training, counseling, and life coaching.

LiveSafe Resources, Inc. is the only state-certified domestic violence provider in Cobb County. AWF funding helps provide safe shelter to women. In addition to providing a stable and immediate safe home environment, the transitional housing program case managers help clients attain skills and build assets needed to live independently, away from abuse. Transitional housing clients receive assistance with childcare, health care, transportation, education, and employment as they work toward fully independent living

AWF funding provides mothers experiencing homelessness secure, stable, permanent housing. Nicholas House goes beyond merely providing a roof overhead. Its trauma-informed, client-centered approach is designed to tackle the multifaceted root causes that contribute to housing insecurity. Case managers work closely with mothers to develop individualized service plans, connecting them with essential resources, support, and education. This holistic support system equips families with the tools and skills necessary to increase their income, build assets, and ultimately maintain housing stability independently.